Red Hand of Doom [PId6] IC

[PId6]

Red Hand of Doom

OOC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=156656)

Alder

You were sent to Elsir Vale by the Order of the Platinum Dragon to investigate rumors of a gathering of chromatic dragons somewhere inside the Vale. Though the Order believes and hopes that these are just rumors, they asked you to investigate these lands to ensure no such nefarious plots are afoot, and to report back if you do find any evidence of such.

You entered the Vale along with a merchant caravan, traveling through Dennovar on the way to Brindol. No one you talked to in Dennovar knew anything about a gathering of dragons, so you decided to continue with the caravan to Brindol, at the center of the Vale, where you hoped to learn conclusively whether your Order's suspicions were true. Along the way, you met and befriended a gnome named Dren, a warrior hired to guard the caravan on its route.

It is at Brindol that you parted ways with your gnome friend and the caravan. You stayed for a short time there, looking for any information on dragon sightings in the Vale, but still not a person has seen or heard of such events. Just as you were about to give up and report back, you happened upon an advertisement by the Lord of Brindol, asking for volunteers to investigate hobgoblin raids in the West. You decided to look into this quest and investigate the hobgoblin raids, thinking that they may be related to your Order's suspicions.

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Flick

Being a student of the Brindol Academy of Mages is a very prestigious position, and being a graduate even more so. It was the most prominent wizard of the town, Immerstal the Red, that saw your potential a few years ago and spoke for you joining the academy. Many other students envy you for being a favorite of the great wizard, not the least because they think they deserve it far more than the upstart kobold. Due to this sentiment, certain faculty members decided to send you on a "graduation journey," unbeknown to your mentor.

A few days after your graduation, while Immerstal was out of town, two of your old teachers came to you and told you of a great peril arising in the West and of a paramount need for an Academy representative to journey with other heroes to stop this peril. They told you to join up with the company the Lord of Brindol is gathering and go investigate these hobgoblin attacks in the name of the Academy, secretly hoping that you would never come back. You believed every word of it, and before the day was out, you were out of the gate with a ragtag band of other heroes, headed for Drellin's Ferry.

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Whiksel

In the years after leaving Brindol for the wilderness, you did many things and traveled to many places. You've joined up with friends and met up with rivals, and have had plenty of adventures with the same. One companion that has stayed constant was a strange and somewhat deformed man, whom you had met in a cavern on one of your adventures and eventually befriended. The man called himself Lenny, and told you that he had been a slave of the Illithids, who practiced vile experiments on him and left him with the appendages to prove it. Though he was a bit naive with the world, you found a sense of inner wisdom about him that intrigued you, and the two of you became fast friends and stalwart companions.

It was about two months ago that news came to you of your father's death. He had died of a heart attack, and your mother spent much of her savings on sending a message telling you to come back to Brindol for the funeral. You promptly made your way back to the Vale with Lenny at your side, and attended your father's funeral as well as spoke with your mother again after so many years. After spending a few days back home and with family, you became restless again, and sought to leave to experience more of the world. Your mother understood, and you and Lenny soon left the city with a new group of adventurers, tasked by the Lord of Brindol to investigate the hobgoblin raids to the West.

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Lenny

After gaining your freedom from the illithid, you wandered about the world for a while, bewildered and unsure of the world that you found yourself in. Other people saw you as a freak, and turned you away from cities and towns when they weren't fleeing from you or shooting arrows at you. You took shelter in forests and caves, avoiding humanoid contact and living off of the land.

It was once, while resting in a cave (again), that a band of a band of adventurers came upon you. They were wary of you, several of them taking you for a monster and arguing that they should slay you. As you got ready for a fight, one of the adventurers got the others to stop and back off. It was a small fellow, a halfling, who spoke with a strange confidence and authority not known among his kind. Rather than try to slay you, the halfling, whose name was Whiksel, spoke to you, learned your story, and befriended you.

It was an unlikely friendship. You were several times his size and could probably toss him a mile away. Still, you both shared certain insights into the world that others cannot match, and you both had a similar outlook. The two of you began journeying on adventures, and he helped explain your situations to others so that they were less terrified of you, and helped make you less conspicuous so that there was less to explain (people expect weirdness out of adventurers anyway).

When Flithen got the missive of his father's death and decided to journey back to Elsir Vale, you followed him, both out of a sense of loyalty and because you had nothing better to do. It wasn't long after the funeral that you became restless again, and you found an advertisement from the Lord of Brindol, offering rewards to any adventurers willing to investigate hobgoblin raids to the West. It didn't take long for you to convince Flithen, and soon the two of you were back on the road and headed for more adventure.

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Kyr

You'd think it'd be easy finding adventure in a caustic world like this. Yet to the discriminating adventurer, it's not nearly as easy as it sounds. After traveling from city to village and village to city for months, the only quests you could find involved bringing back deer pelts or getting back stolen sheep. While you love helping people, you couldn't help but despair at the lack of excitement in these small time quests. You want want something big, something noble, an epic adventure of sweeping proportions that will be sung about for centuries to come. Where are those quests hiding?

It was in pursuit of epic adventures that brought you to Brindol. You expected just another town whose tavern wall is covered in quests involving "Slay five kobolds" or "Bring eight sprigs of parsley," and you were only mildly surprised when you found "Investigate hobgoblin menace" instead. It doesn't sound like much, but you're an optimistic person. Maybe the hobgoblin threat means something much larger than anyone realize. Maybe this is the epic adventure you're looking for. And even if it isn't, you'll still get the chance to help a few people and deal with a harmful threat.

A quick trip to Brindol Keep later, and you're well on your way to adventure.

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Alder, Flick, Whiksel, Lenny, and Kyr

Hired by Lord Jarmaath of Brindol, the five of you make your way to the West, headed for the small town of Drellin's Ferry. You've a journied for a couple of days now, stopping each night at towns along the road. The people of these villages so far haven't heard of nor seen hobgoblins recently, and you haven't encountered anything along the roads yourselves besides the occasional trader or farmer heading to market.

It is now the afternoon of the fourth day since you left Brindol. It's a hot, dusty summer day, with no clouds in the air and blinding sunlight shining down. You are weary and tired from your travels, but you know that you are close to your destination. Despite the lack of information the last few days, and despite the fact that you're so close to Drellin's Ferry, all of you have a feeling that this was just the start of something bigger.

Start by describing your character. You can also chat with each other in character if you like. Flithen and Lenny know each other already, but all you have traveled together for a few days now so all of you are at least passably acquainted.
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@Dren
Dren

It had been an easy task: guard a caravan; how difficult could that be? Very few bandits or creatures would dare attack heavily armed caravans like this one. You expected a few weeks walking and then a fat purse. For the first stretch of the journey, you were right. The walk from Dennovar was long but uneventful, and you had fun sharing stories with a lizardy guy, by the name of Alder, who said he was on a quest for Bahamut or some such. The two of you had different outlooks, but he was a good enough guy around a fire and with a mug, so you two became fast friends and his company made the journey go by much quicker.

It was after leaving Brindol that things started going wrong. First, Alder left the caravan, continuing to pursue his sacred quest (or something), losing you a drinking buddy. Then a wagon gets a broken wheel out in the middle of nowhere, causing several days of delay as you're forced to trek back to the last village to buy the materials to repair it. And finally, you get ambushed, leading to everyone else getting killed. You're definitely not getting your fat purse now, and this will look terrible on your job resume.

It's been several hours since the ambush, and from your hidden vantage point, you watched as the hobgoblins carefully cleared away the wagons and bodies, looting anything they could find and dumping the rest in an abandoned farmhouse nearby. It was only an hour after the massacre that a few goblins rode in on wargs, pulling the wagons away. A hobgoblin wearing heavy armor, a shield, and a mace appears to be directing the procedures, yelling at his underlings in an unfamiliar tongue. The only hobgoblin not working is a shady-looking fellow wearing various daggers and leaning against a tree, watching everything with an amused look on his face.

The whole scene seems far too organized, and you can't help but feel a sense of wrongness about it. The hobgoblins seem to be clearing away all signs of the scuffle, obviously setting up for their next ambush. You're not sure why you're still here, but it's at least in part due to curiosity at how the hobgoblins are acting, and in part due to hatred and a desire for revenge. For now, you wait.

Describe what your character is doing and give a description of him, but keep things in spoilers. Then I'll move things along.

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Lenny claps Flithen on the back excitedly when the city comes into sight. "Oh boy oh boy!", the giant exclaims.

Lenny is VERY tall, almost 7' tall, and thickly muscled. He wears a loose robe over his heavy frame. His grey eyes generally have a rather dull appearance, glinting occasionally with insight. He carries no weapons beyond a leather sling, and wears no armor.

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

Accustomed to Lenny's enthusiasm, Whiksel slips forward a bit to negate much of the clap's power. "Watch it" he says with a glare, but the discerning can tell his heart isn't in it.

Whiksel is short and unremarkable, wearing shirt and pants that blend into the road. He carries a sword, but shows no sign of swordsman's muscles. Mostly, he is staring ahead at the approaching town, looking for signs of trouble.

[PId6]

You can see the barest glint of the town in the distance as you reach the top of a rise in the hill. Soon, however, the road descends again, the town is obscured once more by the path and the trees. You will likely reach it within an hour or two, but it's still a ways off yet.

[balistafreak]

OOC:

So did you forget Dren, or was that the spoiler? Also, you had me at "eight sprigs of parsley". Worst. Fetch quest. Ever.

@Lenny/Keld Denar:

Does "passably acquainted" mean we know of your tentacles yet? You decide.

Kyr

The bespectacled young man hums the bars to a tune he picked up in his short stint in town. The words to the tavern shanty had long left his flighty memory, but the melody was infectious enough to have remained. It wasn't a good rendition - bards had been chased offstage for much better - but it had an honest exuberance to it that belied his good mood.

His infectious energy has him bouncing near the front of the group, occasionally bursting a few yards ahead to scan the horizon ahead, "just in case", before he instantly gives up and turns back his four new "mates", urging them along. "C'mon, lads! We've got ground to cover! Kobolds and parsley have got nothing on this!"

On those words, he flicks his longcoat in his right hand. The sound of mail rings eases through the air like windchimes, albeit completely out of time with his newly-resumed humming. The edge of the coat shimmers a bit like summer heat, decorated with a flame motif - but really, who'd put a flaming enchantment on a coat?

OOC:

Yes, I would. :smallamused:

Such was Kyr's eagerness to go that he'd already strapped his shield to his arm; just the shield. It was practically the size of a door, yet he waved it like it weighed nothing. Either he was stronger than he looked, or the shield was lighter than it appeared; probably the second, as he hadn't offered to carry any extra baggage for the kobold Flick, shouldering his own extradimensional bag with what might been annoyance. Perhaps that was mere overlooking of courtesy, though.

"Well, we're a motley group, aren't we?" he calls from about ten yards ahead. He's stopped, attempting to create a square picture frame of the other five in his hands, but failing due to the large metal square on his left arm. "A dragonborn and a kobold, both with dragon in their blood." He lets out a bark of laughter at the sight of Lenny's enthusiasm contrasted with Flithen's irritance. "A halfling and a half-giant, halves all around!" Giving up on the picture frame, he spreads his arms wide instead. "And then there's yours truly! What will the historians say about this mongrel mix of races?" A chortle escapes his lips. "We're a fine slice of this ever-changing world, aren't we?"

Not waiting for an answer, he gives a last carefree laugh and turns away. Staying perhaps ten yards ahead of the group, he practically skips his way to the summit of the hill - then remembers his adventurer role and almost apologetically waits for the party to catch up. Keeping his ears open all the while, he cups his hands around his glasses in an imitation of binoculars while scanning the horizon in a dramatic pose, silhouetted against the blue afternoon sky.

As soon as the party catches up to him, he walks along with them, trying not to pull away. It's a close thing - he ends up walking in the lead anyways.

OOC:

Long post is long. Don't worry about all my posts being long - just the first one... I promise hope. :smallbiggrin:

How fast will you advance non-combat situations? Obviously the combat round is dictated by, well, turns, but do you wait on everyone before advancing or just whenever it seems convenient?

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

@DM


Dren watched the hobgoblins from a distance, keeping a wary eye on them. He wiped his still bleeding nose with a leaf and then buried it in the dirt with his chubby hands. Dren tried to get an accurate count of potential enemies as he skulked behind the bushes, motionless as a statue.

“I’ll just bide my time till I can get one of them alone or they fall asleep” he assured himself with a quiet whisper. As far as he could tell there was too many to take single handed. If only Alder was here… they’d make quick work of this mess and then still have time for drinks afterwards. Perhaps that was touch optimistic.

Dren figured at least he could drop one or two of them during their next ambush and even up the odds a bit. Ambush the ambushers then fade back into the trees.


Dren is average sized, for a gnome that is. His brown eyes matched his brown hair. The charcoal dust he spreads onto his fine chain shirt gives it a blackened look and helps Dren blend into the shadows. He had a weapon on both hips and a burning desire to bury them in hobgoblin flesh as long as he could get away with it cleanly.

OOC:

Dren will try to situate himself so he can see down the trade road if possible, the idea being to possibly shout a warning or use 'message'. His primary goal though is to keep close tabs on the hobgoblins.

[PId6]

@Dren
You position yourself alongside the road, carefully looking out for anyone possibly walking into an ambush. The hobgoblins, having cleaned up the area and done all the work needed, are mostly just lazing about, chatting, or cleaning their weapons. A few of the hobgoblins, including the leader, went inside the nearby farmhouse, hiding from the blazing sunlight up above.

For a while, nothing really happens. Eventually, however, you see a figure running down the road towards the group. It was a hobgoblin, one of their scouts, and he appears quite excited. He goes behind into the farmhouse for a bit, likely reporting to the leader. Soon, the leader lazily comes out of the farmhouse, barks a few orders to the hobgoblins, then goes back inside. The hobgoblins all start taking positions in the area around a bend in the road, obviously preparing an ambush. One of the hobgoblins, the one with the red hand on his chest, takes up a position close to you, though he doesn't spot your location.

Within a few moments, you hear the loud, bolsterous voices of a band of adventurers, coming down the road, at the front of which is an absurd-looking bespectacled young man in a longcoat...

[Jair Barik]

"Only a little while longer till we reach town. Perhaps this one is Drellin's Ferry at last? I wonder wether they have seen hide nor hair of these hobgoblins? I wonder which is better."

Alder is a little short and squat for a Dragonborn suggesting he used to be a dwarf. His scales shine in the sunlight and he wears no armour, though he is covered by a thick glowing skin of silvery substance that looks stronge enough. His halberd is strapped across his back, the blade made not of metal but of carved bone, and his travelling cloak is tattered and in places bares the scorch marks of past battles. He has been quiet for most of the journey, travelling in a solemn silence, but he does not come across as cold or hard.

He takes in a deep breathe of air smelling his surroundings and looking about at the surrounding forests. A good a place for an ambush as any but it seems unlikely they will find one yet. The town didn't appear in danger from what he saw and he can't hear the sounds of battle. If the hobgoblins had hit the settlement they would likely know from smoke or some other tell tale sign of raiders.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

@DM




Dren waits patiently, practically holding his breath, as he watches the adventurers come down the path.

Dren readies both his weapons.

Dren waits till the party is almost on top of him before casting a quick spell.


@DM

Casting 'Message' (100 ft range, 1 person) at Alder.

"Alder, it's Dren. You are walking into an ambush. Quietly warn the others if you can, but give no sign you know about the ambush. Trust me. "






OOC:


Dren will try to wait as long as possible before using his message spell. He wants to give the party enough warning so they will not be surprised but not enough that they can avoid the ambush. He plans to use the ambush as cover for his own personal ambush against the hobgoblin that punched him earlier.

[PId6]

@Alder
As you come around a bend in the road, you feel a slight breeze blowing through, a welcome relief to the summer heat. Immediately, you begin hearing a voice on the wind, whispering a message into your ear:

"Alder, it's Dren. You are walking into an ambush. Quietly warn the others if you can, but give no sign you know about the ambush. Trust me."

Looking around at the others, it's obvious that they haven't heard anything.

[Ernir]

Flick

"What? We're there? I don't see any city." the kobold, dressed in a horribly cliched wizard's robe and hat yaps when Lenny makes his announcement. Aside from the attire, there's not much your (not-expert-on-kobold) eyes can tell you to set this kobold apart from most - but if anything, this one is even scrawnier than most.
He stands on tippy toes, and tries to jump up and down, peering down the road.
"Does stand to reason, though. The curvature of the planet gives you a considerable advantage due to your height, Lenny. Your field of vision probably covers more than mine by several miles. In fact, one could use the distance difference between the point where you first saw the settlement and the point where I will see it, along with our respective height differences to calculate..." he keeps talking, but no one can understand a thing he says from that point onwards.

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

"Little talky man wants to see the world from a higher place?" Lenny spreads his arms wide and advances on the kobold with a big grin on his face.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Still on the summit of the hill, the longcoated man turns just in time to watch Lenny bumble towards Flick, his intentions obvious. For a moment, his face goes flat with shock and disbelief; seconds later, he gives into the absurdity of the situation and smiles, quickly galloping back down the hill towards the middle of the group to help.

"Ne, ne, why not?" Although hardly the strongest in the party, he moves next to Flick and prepares to help guide him onto Lenny's head and shoulders, offering the large flat surface of his shield has a pseudo-elevator. "Having our caster on the highest piece of terrain is a huge tactical advantage, amiright?" he jokes - or is he half-serious?

OOC:

I fully endorse having our wizard ride the shoulders of our largest party-member for the lulz, if Ernir has no objections. :smalltongue:

Also, I really wish I could have taken the Quick trait. It's like a prerequisite for almost every single character I make, being that much faster (energetic) than everyone else just feels so good. Ah, well. A few guesses as to what my next major purchase will be. :smallamused:

[Jair Barik]

Alder nods to nobody in particular and then turns to face the others.

"Have I ever told you my interest in herbology friends? Well as it just so happens that bush back there is quite rare and I think perhaps it would be a good use of our time to go and check it. The components it could provide would be quite valuable. Much more interesting than any bush we might find down the road. Of that i am sure."

The dragonborn doesn't seem to show any particular emotions whilst saying this but the emphasis on his words is clear. He begins walking back up the hill urging the others to follow.

[PId6]

@Dren
You see Alder stop and turn around as soon as he heard your message, then turning around and walking back. On the side of the hobgoblins, you see them tense as they saw this. Having waited until the last moment to warn them, they are now close enough that the hobgoblins appear too tempted not to attack. It was the hobgoblin with the red hand that first made the decision, and with a bloodcurdling roar he started charging for the group.
Just as Alder turns and begins making his way to the bush, all of you begin hearing a loud roar from the trees next to the path right in front of you. Drawn to the sound, you see behind the bushes a tall, burly hobgoblin with a massive cleaver preparing to charge at you, wearing a chain-linked shirt with a large bloody hand on the chest.

That hobgoblin charges at the foremost hero, which turns out to be Kyr. The mad creature makes two great slices with his cleaver, one of which tears a bloody gash on the human's chest. A second hobgoblin charges out now, moving as quickly as the first. This one heads for Kyr as well, and also manages to slice his sword into the human's arm, leaving a big bloody gash. The two hobgoblins appear to be grinning, even as they dance about in a strange pattern with their blades.

Four attacks at you, two of which hit. The first deals 14 damage, while the second deals 15. (All after DR.)
Now, two more hobgoblins march out of the undergrowth. These appear far more disciplined than the two chargers, carrying themselves in a more stoic posture and marching together in rhythm. These two carry heavy steel shields in one arm and shortswords in the other, joining their shields together to form some kind of miniature phalanx. They march together right behind their allies, preparing to strike as soon as they get into position.

Map:
http://i49.tinypic.com/289iukz.jpg

Blue letters are each of you. Red is the enemy. Red Ws are those with big swords. Red Ss are those with shields.

Orange tiles indicate the road. Lighter orange indicates a slight dirt slope, going up into the heavier-growth area. These are considered difficult terrain when moving up the slope (though are treated normally when moving down or when moving through them horizontally). The green squares are areas of trees and undergrowth, and provide 20% concealment to anyone inside them. These are also treated as difficult terrain when moving through. The blueish color to the right of the map is grass.
@Kyr, Whiksel
Due to your sharp eyes, the two of you can spot another creature on the other side of the clearing, hiding amidst the trees, in square U7.
@Dren
You are in I11.

You remember two marksmen taking positions on the other side of the clearing before the ambush. One of them is at R10. The other one is on the other side, but you're not exactly sure where.

The farmhouse is further below the map, starting from the path in X13. You know that the leader, along with a few other hobgoblins, are around that area. The hobgoblin with the bloody red hand is W2.

[Ernir]

Halfway onto the giant's shoulders, the plan is interrupted.

"Later! I think these are more important right now!" :smalleek: Flick squeaks, and casts a spell centered on the group of attackers.

Cast Grease centered on the H7:I8 intersection.
Stats
HP: 21/21
AC/Touch/FF: 20/15/16
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Active Effects: Mage Armor (10 hours remaining)

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Enlarge Person
Enlarge Person
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Mage Armor, Extended
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[Jair Barik]

"For Bahumat and for the good of the world!" Alder roars as he crosses through his allies to get into combat with the enemy. He moves round the back of his allies with Halberd in hand. He swings at one hobgoblin and then breathes a beam of light at two of the others.


Move to G8
[roll0] [roll1] to hit hobgoblin in H7
Activating Tactical strike, if hits an additional [roll2] damage+ all adjacent allies can make a 5 ft step.

Quickened Breath weapon targetting H8 and continuing on in a 25ft line. [roll3] damage with a DC 17 save for half. Can't be used again for another [roll4] rounds.

Stats

Stats
Location: G8
HP: 64
AC: 18
Stance: None
Maneuvers: White raven tactics, Battle leaders Charge, Leading the Attack, Tactical Strike

[dspeyer]

C+P from the OOC thread -- I accidentally posted the wrong place!

Whiksel


"There's something hidden in the woods behind them", he whispers, hoping his companions will hear but the enemy will still believe they have surprise.

Now, hobgoblins, what do I know about hobgoblins...

Knowledge(local): (1d20+4)[16]


...I know their kidneys have no bone protecting them! Now, let's get to a better position.

Whiksel advances, then unexpectedly throws himself under a hobgoblin's sword, tumbles past, spins and plants a furious knife in the creature's back, right in the kidney.


Tumble under with cunning brilliance: (1d20+24)[25]
Rabid wolf strike and cunning strike:
Attack (1d20+18)[34]
Damage (1d6+8)[14] + (2d6)[8] + (2d6)[3]

Stats
Location: I9
HP: 33
AC (next round): 18
Stance: Island of Blades
Maneuvers: Rabid Wolf Strike, Sudden Leap, Cloak of deception, Shadow Jaunt
Inspiration: 1
Knowledge bonus against Hobgoblins (atk&dmg): 2

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren


Dren moves out from the trees to attack the hobgoblins. Though dismayed he didn't have their backs, he attacked with ferver.

"Taste steel!"


OOC

Dren moves to H9 and attacks the hobgoblin with his blood on it's chest (W2)

To hit: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]


(Not sure on if that would be a surprise attack or not, if so + [roll2] damage )





Stats
Location: H9
HP: 41
AC: 20 (24 AC vs W2 dodge target)

Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

"PLAY TIME!"

Lenny unwraps his tenticles, concentrates briefly, then moves to G9.



Remember, for movement, Lenny has 10' reach due to Inhuman Reach, but it may not be apparent because he's medium sized and unarmed.

Manifest Inertial Armor for 3 PP, linked to Expansion for 1 PP, totaling 4 PP.

Move 5' diagonal to F7, 5' down to F8 (costs 10 movement for uphill), then 5' diagonal to G9 (costs 10 movement for 2nd diagonal).
Stats
HP: 39/39
AC/Touch/FF: 18/18/17
F/R/W: +10/+4/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining)

Impending Effect: Expansion will manifest next round at the start of my turn.

[balistafreak]

OOC:
Wtf, it's a Dren!

Also, MY LIFE TOTAL. AAAGH.

@Ragnarock'n'roll: The lot of them have just been greased. Chances are they're now balancing and flat-footed.

Kyr

"Urk - gaaaaa!!!" Kyr reels back from the assault. Good lord, I haven't been hit that hard in - I don't know. Despite his complaint, he knows that he could take maybe one more hit like that before dropping. At least the bleeding was quickly getting under control. (Fast Healing.) "This isn't all of them - we've got a lurker, maybe fifty feet back!" he cries out.

Quickly recovering, he squares himself against his opponent."Alright, mates," he snarls, flicking his coat in his hand; the hem suddenly bursts into magical flame. (Draw Weapon.) "Let's take these guys dooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW-"

Instead of finishing his word, he lets out an incomprehensible roar. Viscous fire replaces his speech, blasting over the four hobgoblins but washing harmlessly over Flithen, barely missing the sudden new combatant. (Entangling Fire Breath.) He wasn't going to let him go unquestioned forever, but it seemed that letting him bury his blades in a foe was the better course of action for now.

Round Summary:
Fast Healing: Kyr heals from 15 HP to 16 HP.
Draw Weapon: Kyr "draws" his weighed coat as a move action.
Entangling Fire Breath: Kyr breathes a 15-foot cone of fire from the bottom-right corner of G7 to the bottom-right corner of J7. This cone affects H7-8, I6-9, and J7-8, hitting all four hobgoblins for half of 3d6 damage (DC 17 halves), entangling them and causing 1d6 ongoing damage for 1d4 rounds.

Fire breath damage: [roll0] Half this number is 5.
Rounds entangled: [roll1]


Character Summary:
Kyr
Stats:
HP: 16/44; AC: 23, 12 Touch, 21 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 2
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day. (This means Dren is not yet immune.)
Position: G7.

EDIT: I fail at drawing cones. Moved the cone to not hit Dren. Also, misread "two of you" as "two of them". Sorry about all these minor edits. :smallwink:

[PId6]

Flick's spell drops a puddle of grease right into the middle of the hobgoblins. The two shieldbearers start slipping, one of them even falling down from his feeble attempts at maintaining balance. The two foremost hobgoblins, however, appear not to even notice the spell, their frenzied bloodlust driving them to ignore the dangers.

Alder's hacks at one of the chargers fiercely with his halberd, cutting through its roughshod armor in a broad and tactical stroke to give his allies an opening for regrouping. After that attack, he breathes a breath of fire through the line of combatants, though it barely seemed to singe most of them.

Using his dexterous mobility and his cunning strokes, Whiksel maneuvers himself behind the foremost hobgoblin and plants his knife right into the creature's back. The hobgoblin appear stunned, staggered by the sudden attack, leaving just enough opening for a gnome to pop out from the trees and bury his rapier into its skull. The body collapses into a puddle of grease and blood without another twitch.

Kyr's roar of flame smothers the three remaining hobgoblins in sticky fire, which clings to their bodies and restricts their movement. In retaliation, the remaining greatsword-wielding charger sweeps his blade in a wide arc, catching both Alder and Kyr in the swing. The blade hits with surprising force, and leaves the two heroes with severe wounds from the cut.

Alder takes 13 damage, Kyr takes 11 after DR.
The two shieldbearers have appear to be far less competent than their peer. Stuck in the puddle of grease, one of them has fallen down while the other one almost fell himself while trying to walk away. Nearly impotent, the fallen hobgoblin attempts to stab at Whiksel from his terrible tactical position, and fails miserably as a result. However, he still appears to have a stubborn tenacity about him that challenges you to attack him.

While threatened by S2, if you attack anyone besides S2, you take -4 to the attack.
On the other side of the clearing, you hear sounds of arrows zooming towards you, aiming for Whiksel. Two of the arrows barely miss the halfling, while the remainder lands a solid hit in his forearm. It quickly becomes obvious that the shots came from a marksman previously attempting to hide within the trees.

Take 10 damage.
@Dren and Whiksel
You hear movement to the east, on the lower side of the road, though you're not sure where.
Map:
http://i45.tinypic.com/14x0vlz.jpg

A1 is the archer. Pink is the grease. S2 is prone.

[Jair Barik]

Shrugging off his wound Alder skirts around the grease by going through the hilled area. Shouting words of encouragement he spurs the group on to defeat the enemy then sinks his Halberd into the fallen enemy to try and pin it to the ground.


Adopt Stance leading the charge
Move to J9 avoiding grease, (H9, then I9 then J9, likely provokes an AoO)
[roll0] to hit (excluding modifiers for flanking/enemy prone) [roll1] attacking enemy in I8
Using leading the attack strike. On succesful hit allies get a +4 bonus to hit this enemy this round.

Stats


Stats
Location: G8
HP: 51/64
AC: 19 (so long as I am adjacent to an ally my AC is increased to 19 and all adjacent allies get a +1 bonus to their AC. My AC will drop back to 18 if I am no longer adjacent to an ally)
Stance: Leading the charge. 60ft radius allies deal +5 damage on the charge.
Maneuvers: White raven tactics, Battle leaders Charge, Leading the Attack, Tactical Strike

6 rounds till I regain my breathe weapon (forgot to include my recovery feat in the dice roll before)

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren follows up his first attack with two more stabbing attacks at the prone hobgoblin in front of him.

" This is for my friends!" he mumbles.


OOC:

Dren will attack the prone hobgoblin twice

to hit: +15 (+10 -2 TWF + 2 flank +1 racial +4 prone)
Damage: [roll1] + [roll2]


to hit: [roll3] +15 (+10 -2 TWF + 2 flank +1 racial +4 prone)
Damage : [roll4] + [roll5]

(to confirm [roll]1d20+15 - 1d4





OOC

Stats
Location: H9
HP: 41
AC: 20 (24 AC vs s1 dodge target)

Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

Looks like this side of the fight is well in hand.

"I'm going to see who else is coming for us" he warns his friends, then vanishes into the brush south of the road.

@DM

Move south get enough cover to hide in, then advance stealthfully until I spot whatever made the noise or run out of movement for the turn. I think running out of movement would be N11. If I spot them with a standard action left, let me know and I'll do something with it.

Stealth: [roll0] (- whatever penalty the underbrush gives)
Perception: [roll1]


Stat Block:

HP: 33
AC: 22
Stance: Island of Blades
Maneuvers: Rabid Wolf Strike, Sudden Leap, Cloak of deception, Shadow Jaunt
Inspiration: 1
Knowledge bonus against Hobgoblins (atk&dmg): 2

[Ernir]

Flick

Even over the sound of the battle, you all hear the kobold audibly swallowing when he finds himself only a few feet away from the frenzying hobgoblin. He stares at it, takes out a piece of mirror from his pouch, and casts a spell.

Cast Unluck (SpC) on W1, Will DC 18 negates.
Move to A4.
Stats
HP: 21/21
AC/Touch/FF: 20/15/16
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Location: A4
Active Effects:
Mage Armor (10 hours remaining)
Insightful Divination +4 on initiative and next saving throw (24 hours remaining)

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Enlarge Person
Enlarge Person
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Mage Armor, Extended
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[PId6]

@Whiksel
As you sneak through the undergrowth, you see the outlines of another hobgoblin archer hiding within the bushes. His bowstring is nocked, and he appears to be concentrating intently towards the rest of the group, not paying any heed in your direction. Almost immediately after spotting him, he smiles and unleashes his arrow.

You spot him upon reaching L11. He is at P10.
As soon as Flick started mumbling the words of a spell, an arrow fires out of the undergrowth on the lower side of the road. The arrow hits Flick right in the arm, disrupting the spell and causing the sound of glass breaking apart as the spell component falls to the ground. It becomes apparent now that there is a second archer waiting in the undergrowth.

New archer is in P10.

Flick takes 12 damage, and loses the spell. You can redo your move action if you want.

[balistafreak]

OOC:

MY FACE. AGAIN.

Kyr

Spitting both some of his own blood and and a curse, Kyr watches the Dragonborn go haring off after the downed man. "Mangy cur! You've got a mate about to drop and you go haring off after a kill?" he cries in irritance after Alder's charging form. He feels his body desperately attempting to cope with the sudden traumas wreaked upon it. Just a few more seconds, please, he begs. (Fast Healing.)

His eyes flicker to the hobgoblin next to him, whose blade drips with blood after not one but two major hits on Kyr's body. For a moment, he considers falling back and activating the healing magic in his belt.

Then he realizes that Flick, the frailest of them all, is standing all alone in the open, with an arrow in his arm that certainly wasn't there a second ago.

He compromises. "Flick, that fighter can't move far, fall back! Don't worry about me, Lenny, cover Flick for maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah-"

Again he spews fire, once again over the two hobgoblins in the grease - not sticky fire, but simply hot fire. (Fire Breath.) That accomplished, he suddenly tumbles away from the one next to him far more nimbly than one carrying a huge shield should, running up into the brush. He disappears suddenly with a crash - having seen the arrows appearing in his mates' bodies, he has no wish to have one introduced with his skull in his state of body. (Drop Prone.)

Round Summary:
Fast Healing: Kyr heals from 5 HP to 6 HP.
Fire Breath: Kyr breathes fire in a cone hitting H7, I6-8, and J6-8, hitting the two shieldbearers S1 and S2. They should be entangled for one more round, so he uses regular breath.

Fire Breath Damage: 16 fire damage, DC 17 halves.

Tumble: Kyr uses a point of inspiration to raise his tumble check modifier from +13 to +14 with Cunning Knowledge, nailing the DC 15 tumble check without a roll. He tumbles from G7 to G8, before using his next 4 squares of movement to move into H10 through G9.
Drop Prone: Kyr then drops prone as a free action, seeking to avoid becoming a pincushion.


Character Summary:
Kyr
Stats:
HP: 16/44; AC: 23, 12 Touch, 21 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 2 1
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day. (This means Dren is not yet immune.)
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Position: G7 H10.

EDIT: Got swordsage'd a bit. Changed some dialogue, but all actions remain the same.

[balistafreak]

Fire Damage: [roll0], DC 17 Reflex halves.

Stupid coding. :smallannoyed:

[dspeyer]

Whiksel
@DM

If I've got the movement rules straight, Whiksel can reach L11 in a movement action. That leaves a standard action.

Whiksel vanishes into the shadow of a nearby tree, stepping out right behind the archer, wherever the best cover is. He arrives such that the archer doesn't see him, but he'll be ready with an AoO next time he shoots or moves.

To avoid confusion, we can figure he gets off the already-resolved readied shot before Whiksel's Jaunt.

On-arrival stealth check: [roll0]

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

"STOP HURTING MY FRIENDS"


Expansion goes off and Lenny expands up to large size, centered at F/G 9/10.

Reaching for W1
Attempt to grapple (touch attack)
[roll0] [roll1]
if first attack hits
[roll=Tenticle2]1d20-1[roll] [roll=Dmg1]1d8+3[roll]
if first attack misses (touch attack)
[roll2] [roll3]
If I'm in a grapple now, Unarmed Strike Pin
[roll4]
Otherwise, Unarmed Strike (touch attack)
[roll5] [roll6]

Man, this is gonna get kinda complicated, depending on which attacks hit...


Conditions

Stats
HP: 39/39
AC/Touch/FF: 16/16/16
F/R/W: +10/+3/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining), Expansion (4 minutes)

[Keld Denar]

Ooops


[roll0] [roll1]

So, first attack hits, if the grapple wins, he moves into my square, then the 2nd tenticle attacks (above) normal AC, and the UAS should use the first value to pin the hobgobin.

[PId6]

Alder easily leads the attack on that poor fallen hobgoblin. Chopping down with a solid blow, he opens the way for Dren to puncture its kidneys one by one, finishing it off without a hassle.

Kyr's breath smothers the lone shieldbearing hobgoblin in flame. Combined with the effects of the clinging fire from his last breath of flame, the poor hobgoblin seems nearly spent, barely clinging onto dear life.

Extending his creepy creepy tentacles at the charger before him, Lenny draws the hapless hobgoblin into his deadly embrace, crushing the dear life from its body. A light squeeze is more than enough to send the poor fellow into unconsciousness.

From the bushes, the archer that had shot at Flick now aims for Alder, firing off a single shot before Whiksel manages to swipe at him from behind. Confounded by the attack, the archer turns on Whiksel for his remaining attacks instead. However, due to his hurried shots, neither shot hit the halfling.

Alder takes 11 damage. Whiksel gets an AoO on the archer, and dodges its two other shots. (You get two more if you've Combat Reflexes.)
The other archer seems to have no such difficulties, and appears to be getting more accurate as he goes along. Three shots fire at Alder, two of which managed to pierce his armor, leaving a small trickle of blood in their wake.

Alder takes two more hits, for 13 and 10 damage respectively.
The remaining shieldbearer, nearly dead on his feet, makes one last valiant effort to step out of the puddle of grease, and fails. His willpower spent, he now succumbs to his wounds and falls to the ground, bleeding.

Map:
http://i49.tinypic.com/551pif.jpg

S1 and W1 are both unconscious and bleeding. W1 is inside Lenny's square.

Edit: W1 is now dead thanks to Entangling Exhalation. Lenny is still hugging it though.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

A few seconds after crashing into the underbrush, Kyr pokes his head up to see Lenny in a not-entirely-nonawkward clinch with the hobgoblin that had injured him so badly. A weary smile, marred by the blood across his face, blossomed into life as he quickly turned to watch the second hobgoblin cook in a puddle of greasy fire. Well, that could have turned out a lot worse. (Fast Healing, Ongoing Breath Damage.)

Scrambling to his feet, he bumps his spectacles back up onto his face, accidentally smearing a little blood on one of the lenses. (Stand Up.) "Don't finish them off, we're going to get to the bottom of this mess!" he barks, pawing at his own chest as he does so. The release of some of the healing energy within a blue woven belt slung across his chest provides further relief, enough to pull him out of the range of a sudden death. (Healing Belt, 1 Charge.)

"Alder, Whiksel! Alley-oop!" Whatever that was supposed to mean was unclear, but from the way the bespectacled man waved his arms it was clear that he wanted one of them to switch targets and for the other to fill in for him.

Round Summary:
Fast Healing: Kyr heals from 6 HP to 7 HP.
Ongoing Breath Damage: W1 takes 3 ongoing fire damage. S1 takes 5 ongoing fire damage. Ongoing damage and entanglement on these two foes end this turn.
Stand Up: Kyr stands up as a move action.
Healing Belt, 1 Charge: Kyr spends a standard action and 1 charge of his Healing Belt to heal 2d8 HP and get back into the game.

Healing Belt Effect: Heal self [roll0] HP, bringing Kyr up to 19 HP.

Character Summary:
Stats:
HP: 6 19/44; AC: 23, 12 Touch, 21 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 1
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day. (This means Dren is not yet immune.)
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Healing Belt Charges: 3 2
Position: H10.

@Jair Barik:
If this encounter ends as fast as I think (hope) it will, this probably won't matter, but don't forget your Fast Healing 1 at the start of your turn, eh?

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

Whiksel uses the full advantage of surprise on his AoO, but follows it with only an ordinary slash.


Atk: [roll0]
Dmg: [roll1]+[roll2]
Atk: [roll3]
Dmg: [roll4]

Stat Block:
HP: 23
AC: 22
Stance: Island of Blades
Maneuvers: Rabid Wolf Strike, Sudden Leap, Cloak of deception, Shadow Jaunt
Inspiration: 0
Knowledge bonus against Hobgoblins (atk&dmg): 2

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren


Dren watches in horror as arrows come streaking down towards the party. He dashes towards towards the closest archer and teleports the last 5 feet to get there as fast as possible.

He thrusts his raiper with all his might "ye-ha!"

Summary

moving from h9 to N9 then activates his anklets of translocation to move 5 ft to O9. (1 move action and 1 swift action)

He attacks the hobgoblin A2.

To hit :[roll0] (confirm? [roll1] )
Damage : [roll2] + [roll3]


OOC


Stats
Location: O9
HP: 41
AC: 20 (24 AC vs A1 dodge target)

Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4
Translocation 1

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Dropping the broken hobgoblin, Lenny surges forward toward the archer. Turning on his heel, he spins around, reachs down and grabs the hobo with the shield by the head and lifting him kicking into the air.


Move to L/M 9/10, then attacking S1 with his fists.
(touch attack)
[roll=1d20+8[/roll] [roll0] [roll1]


Conditions

Stats
HP: 39/39
AC/Touch/FF: 16/16/16
F/R/W: +10/+3/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining), Expansion (3.9 minutes)

[Keld Denar]

SoaB!

still a touch attack...
[roll0]

[Jair Barik]

Alder lowers his halberd and charges the already wounded archer up on the hill. He's quite sure his new allies will already be able to drop it but thats not his only reason for charging, if he can get close to them then he will be able to protect them and himself through close quarters fighting. Stabbing the probably by now dead hobgoblin Alder then gives a shout to Dren.

"Dren! Your the closest, if you could close with that last archer he won't have a chance!"


5 ft step toJ10
Charge at the Hobgoblin in P10, moving o 10.
[roll0] [roll1]

Use White raven tactics, Dren gets another go.

Stats

Location: P10
HP: 18/64
AC: 19 (so long as I am adjacent to an ally my AC is increased to 19 and all adjacent allies get a +1 bonus to their AC. My AC will drop back to 18 if I am no longer adjacent to an ally)
Stance: Leading the charge. 60ft radius allies deal +5 damage on the charge.
Maneuvers: White raven tactics, Battle leaders Charge, Leading the Attack, Tactical Strike

5 rounds till I regain my breathe weapon

[Ernir]

Flick

Flick squeals like a stung Kobold when the arrow hits him. Nevertheless, he quickly regains his posture, and calls out. "The wound does not seem to be fatal!"

"And there, right back at you!" he says, as he casts another spell.

Glitterdust on A1. (The U6:V7 intersection, if it matters.)
Stats
HP: 10/21
AC/Touch/FF: 20/15/16
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Location: A4
Active Effects:
Mage Armor (10 hours remaining)

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Enlarge Person
Enlarge Person
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Mage Armor, Extended
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

OOC:

Not entirely sure how white raven tactics work, but if Dren gets another move before the archers...



Dren charges at the furthest archer that he can see. His little legs a blur of motion as he builds up momentum.



Dren charges to T7 to attack the A1 hobo.

[roll0]
[roll1]



stats:


Stats
Location: T7
HP: 41
AC: 18 (22 AC vs A1 dodge target)

Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4
Translocation 1

[PId6]

Whiksel manages to graze the archer in the kidney while it was distracted with its shot at Alder, then follows up with another poke into the hobgoblin's chest.

Dren swiftly takes advantage of his own magics to appear next to the marksman's side with a precise stab to the heart, ending its life instantly.

On the other side of the clearing, the gigantic Lenny tentacle rapes hugs a shieldbearer's unconscious, greasy, and burning body to a gruesome end.

Taking a cautious route, Alder moves towards Dren and convinces the gnome to take continue to fight, even as he himself prepares to dodge any more arrows from the archer. Dren lives up to his expectations, running over and making a light hit on the archer's side, pushing deeper due to his momentum and Alder's encouragements.

Flick, in retaliation for being shot, throws sparkly rainbow fairy dust at the big manly hobgoblin, hoping to shame it enough to poke out its own eyes. Unfortunately, the hobgoblin manages to avoid that cruel fate through sheer willpower, though it's still covered in rainbow dust.

Deciding that enough is enough, the lone hobgoblin remaining turns tail and runs, withdrawing as fast as it could away from the scene of the battle.

Map:
http://i47.tinypic.com/29zo182.jpg

A1 withdraws south, going down the little path starting at X12. You can't see where he ends up from your locations.
@Wiksel
You hear a lot of movement southeast of you. Through the trees, you can spot a few bits of movement down there as well, but it's hard to tell at this distance.
@Dren
You remember that the path the archer ran down leads to the farmhouse.

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

With the advantage of height, Lenny lumbers over there the hobgoblin was last seen.

By the looks of it, he can get to S/T 4/5 with a double move. Is there a fleeing hobgoblin to be seen? He has a -40 on his hide check...

If the hobgoblin isn't too far, Lenny will activate his Anklets to teleport 10' closer to hopefully bring the hobgoblin into his 20' reach (of doooooooom!)

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

"Don't chase him too far -- there's more trouble coming." Whiksel calls to his allies.

I'm just not made for long, drawn-out battles he thinks to himself, but he pulls his mind together, and begins coiling his reflexes like a spring, so that at least he will be ready with a rabid wolf strike at whatever comes.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Kyr watches as the last archer streaks down the path, clearly outmatched. With a grunt, he starts shuffling across the road, breaking cover. (Fast Healing, Double Move.)

"Hold steady, mates!" he hisses. "Whiksel says he's got friends coming! Whiksel, Lenny... and you," he barks, jabbing his finger at the random Whisper Gnome who had aided them, "see if you can't set up an ambuscade of our own. Let us know if you see anything, we'll follow your lead." He looks down at himself and winces. Picking up his voice, he calls out, "Flick, Alder, get over here, you're in bad shape!... like me. Let's heal up and regroup before we go haring off after that runner, aight?"

Round Summary:
Fast Healing: Kyr heals from 19 HP to 20 HP.
Double Move: Kyr uses 12 tiles of movement to get to Q8.

Character Summary:
Stats:
HP: 19 20/44; AC: 23, 12 Touch, 21 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 1
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day. (This means Dren is not yet immune.)
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Healing Belt Charges: 2
Position: H10 Q8.

OOC:

So are we dropping out of initiative order or are we going to still have trouble?

I'm going to try and shower some free healing on Alder and Flick if we have the time, but if not, go and use your Healing Belt charges. I'm going to hold onto mine until I know we've got company.

'Course, now I'm going to get splatted by a sniper before you can say, "Famous last words." :smallamused:

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren frowns at Kyr as he barked orders in his direction. " I know what I'm doing. Hush, you talk too loud. " Dren mumbles under his breath slightly annoyed.

He moves quickly due east and tries to disappear into the woods.

OOC

Moving from T7 to X7 and attempt to look and listen down the path.

Hide [roll0]



Stats


Location: x7
HP: 41
AC: 20 (24 AC vs N/A)

Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4
Translocation 1

[PId6]

@Dren
Making your way through the foliage stealthily, you quickly see this alarming scene staring you down the path:

http://i50.tinypic.com/15p36ky.jpg

W3 and W4 look to be more of those berserkers that attacked you before, and each of them hold a big sword in hand. These guys are staring up the trail intently, as if ready to pounce on anyone they see coming down.

A1 is the same archer that ran from you guys before, still covered in glitterdust. A3 and A4 are both marksmen, with their longbows nocked and preparing to shoot anyone they see.

B is the same shady-looking hobgoblin you saw before, this time with both his shortswords drawn and looking intensely in your direction. He is wearing finer armor than the other hobgoblins, and bears a few distinctive marks on it.

None of the hobgoblins appeared to have noticed you.

Note: Due to moving at quarter speed from difficult terrain and stealth, you only reach W7 after two move actions, which is just enough to see the hobgoblins.

[Ernir]

"Where did he go? Where did he go? I don't like the sound of this.", Flick mutters to himself as he bumbles towards the group, trying to look in all directions at once.

Move to F6.
Readied action to shoot a Fiery Burst should I see an enemy within 30'.[roll0], reflex for half.

AFB, can't remember the save DC. :smallfrown:
Stats
HP: 10/21
AC/Touch/FF: 20/15/16
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Location: F6
Active Effects:
Mage Armor (10 hours remaining)

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Enlarge Person
Enlarge Person
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Mage Armor, Extended
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[Jair Barik]

Alder flourishes his weapon to regain his maneuvers. Then turns to look at his wounded companions. "Dren! Good to see you again! It is a pity we didn't have time to act upon your warning. Do you know if the village lost or are the hobgoblins yet to reach it?"

Stats

Location: P10
HP: 19/64
AC: 19 (so long as I am adjacent to an ally my AC is increased to 19 and all adjacent allies get a +1 bonus to their AC. My AC will drop back to 18 if I am no longer adjacent to an ally)
Stance: Leading the charge. 60ft radius allies deal +5 damage on the charge.
Maneuvers: White raven tactics, Battle leaders Charge, Leading the Attack, Tactical Strike

4 rounds till I regain my breathe weapon

[PId6]

Despite his great height, Lenny fails to see anything from where he stands.

Alder tries to speak to his friend, but before he could say a word, he found that Dren had vanished, having crawled into the undergrowth to scout for enemies.

No more enemies appear, and things look as calm as would the eye of a storm.

@Dren
You see the hobgoblin with the two shortswords vanish into the trees to the left of the path, his expert footsteps making not a single noise as he walks.

The other hobgoblins all advance carefully, eyes still trained ahead and still holding swords and bows tightly in hand, ready to spring with them.

http://i48.tinypic.com/fn9v0x.jpg
@Wiksel
You hear more movement down to the southeast of you, though the footsteps are slower this time, and more methodical and cautious.
Map:
http://i48.tinypic.com/2a5hlk3.jpg

[Ernir]

Flick

Flick runs to catch up.

Double move to Q7.

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Heeding the warning, Lenny comes out of the bushes, double moving to T/U 9/10.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Kyr's breathing slows down to a more manageable rate as his own resilience continues to knit his three gaping wounds into something much more manageable. (Fast Healing.) He scrambles up the slope into the forest proper to get both out of the coverless road and to pull up alongside Alder. (Move.)

"Sorry if I was a bit snippish out there," he apologizes, "I was a bit off-balance there. You made the correct decision to finish him off. Here, mate, you need this more than I do. Good show out there, but keep on your toes, it's not over yet," he encourages in a low voice, along with a pat on the back and a wink. He releases a second charge of healing energy as he does so, sending it into the armored Dragonborn to bolster him further. (Ready Healing Belt, 1 Charge.)

"So you know that gnome? Can we trust him?" As soon as he gets his answer, he turns to Whiksel. "Got anything?"

Round Summary:
Fast Healing: Kyr heals from 20 HP to 21 HP.
Move: Kyr uses 6 tiles of movement to get to O11 as his move action.
Ready Healing Belt, 1 Charge: Kyr uses 1 charge of his Healing Belt to heal Alder of 2d8 damage as a standard action as soon as Alder takes his turn, allowing Alder to heal 1 additional HP from the Vigor aura first.

Healing Belt Effect: Heal Alder [roll0] HP. This should bring him up to 32, including his 1 HP from fast healing at the beginning of his turn.

Character Summary:
Stats:
HP: 20 21/44; AC: 23, 12 Touch, 21 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 1
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day. (This means Dren is not yet immune.)
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Healing Belt Charges: 2 1
Position: Q8 O11.

OOC:
There's a second squad... isn't there? Isn't there. There has to be, we're still in initiative. :smallannoyed:

/paranoia :smalltongue:

[PId6]

As Lenny walks into view, he catches a glimpse of some hobgoblins right as two arrows are launched at his direction. However, both arrows veer way off their mark, coming nowhere near hitting the giant. Directly afterward, a lone hobgoblin charges at the giant, giving him a chance to put his tentacles to action.

A charger runs at you with a greatsword. You get an AoO on him.
@Lenny
You see this from your vantage point:

http://i45.tinypic.com/10cj32f.jpg
(Forgot to move Flick; he's at Q7.) As are archers, W4 is a greatsword wielder. W4 has moved to charge at you.

BTW, please start putting OOC info in spoilers.

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Lenny reaches down and tries to grab the charging hobgobilin. "We got company! 2 Archers"

AoO - touch attack
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]


Conditions

Stats
HP: 39/39
AC/Touch/FF: 16/16/16
F/R/W: +10/+3/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining), Expansion (3.7 minutes)

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

Whiksel takes a rough guess where the archers must be, and advances under cover.


Move to V12
Stealth: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

Stat Block:
HP: 23
AC: 22
Stance: Island of Blades
Maneuvers: Rabid Wolf Strike, Sudden Leap, Cloak of deception, Shadow Jaunt
Inspiration: 0
Knowledge bonus against Hobgoblins (atk&dmg): 2

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren cautiously picks his footing as he creeps through the woods.
Trying carefully not to step on any twigs, his progress is slow.

Dren keeps a watchful eye on the closest Hobgoblin. The massive sword was significantly larger than Dren himself.

"Hate to be on the receiving end of that thing..." he mumbles to himself under his breath.


OOC:


-Dren moves from W7 to Z9 while trying to remaining hidden.

-Declaring dodge target on the closest hobogoblin Dren knows about incase Dren gets spotted and he charges me instead of Lenny.

[roll0]



Status


Location: W7moving to Z9 (I think I can make it that far)
HP: 41
AC: 20 (24 AC vs W4)

Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4
Translocation 1

[Jair Barik]

Before Alder has time to respond to Dren's earlier question he hears the sounds of battle and runs to a position where he can better see the road.

Stats

Runs to V9
Location: V9
HP: 33/64
AC: 19 (so long as I am adjacent to an ally my AC is increased to 19 and all adjacent allies get a +1 bonus to their AC. My AC will drop back to 18 if I am no longer adjacent to an ally)
Stance: Leading the charge. 60ft radius allies deal +5 damage on the charge.
Maneuvers: White raven tactics, Battle leaders Charge, Leading the Attack, Tactical Strike

2 rounds till I regain my breathe weapon

[PId6]

Though held tightly in Lenny's grasp and unable to use his greatsword, the hobgoblin is not relenting, twisting and writhing in place and aiming blows at Lenny with his gauntlet. The attacks are wild and not too powerful, but one of them made a lucky hit on Lenny's shoulder.

Lenny takes 8 damage.
Around the bend runs another hobgoblin, almost a mirror of the one in Lenny's arms. Coming up to both Lenny and Alder, this one makes a wide slash, trying to catch the two of them in his swipe. However, his attack manages to miss both of them, leaving him out of balance and unready for their inevitable counterattack.

From the woods, a lean hobgoblin tumbles out of the bushes next to Lenny and makes three quick strikes at the giant with his two shortswords. Unfortunately for him, all three attacks are fended off by Lenny's invisible shield of power, and the hobgoblin growls in frustration as he prepares for another round of attacks.

The three archers step forward, launching a shower of arrows at Alder, avoiding Lenny out of consideration for their comrade. However, due to a twist of the wind, most of the arrows fell wide of their mark and most that shot close didn't penetrate his armor. Only a single arrow hit its intended target, though this one buried itself deep.

Alder takes 12 damage.
@Whiksel
You hear someone chanting words of magic somewhere high above you, though you cannot tell where.
Map:
http://i45.tinypic.com/9gas7m.png

W4 is grappled by Lenny, B is a hobgoblin with two shortswords, As are all archers.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Bloody hells, they came out of the woodwork fast! What appeared to be an fresh team came into view in front of him, closing with Lenny and Alder in seconds - the whistle of arrows betrayed the presence of even more.

Moving himself into action, Kyr crashes through the woods a few feet forward, drawing in a deep breath. (Fast Healing, Move.) "Heads up, mates, here we goooooooooooooooooooooo-"

A bituminous blast of fire lashes forth from his mouth, splattering all three of his foes - and Lenny. (Entangling Fire Breath.) Unfortunately for the hobgoblins, the fire would slide off of the half-giant like water off of a duck's back, leaving them ablaze instead.

Round Summary:
Fast Healing: Kyr heals from 21 HP to 22 HP, the maximum that the Vigor aura can heal him to.
Move: Kyr uses 4 tiles of movement to get to Q11 as his move action.
Entangling Fire Breath: Kyr uses Entangling Exhalation on his fire breath, breathing a 30-foot line of line. He hits R-T11 and U-W10, hitting all three hobgoblins and Lenny, although Lenny is already immune, for half of 3d6 fire damage, DC 17 Reflex halves, and entangling them and dealing 1d6 ongoing fire damage for 1d4 rounds.

Fire Breath Damage: [roll0]. Half of this is 6.
Rounds Entangled: [roll1].

Character Summary:
Stats:
HP: 21 22/44; AC: 23, 12 Touch, 21 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 1
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day. (This means Dren is not yet immune.)
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Healing Belt Charges: 1
Position: O11 Q11.

[Jair Barik]

"You may have started this battle but we shall be the ones to finish it!" Alder growls in anger at the hobgoblins and spins his halberd backwards as the enmy swings wide, lunging in beneath his defences to skewer him on the deadly piece of dragon's bone. Alder roars with fury trying to spur on his nearby allies.


Attack hobgoblin W3 using Tactical strike [roll0]to hit [roll1]damage, [roll2] bonus damage for strike. If I hit then lenny can make a free 5ft step without provoking AoO's.
Activate white raven tactics targetting Lenny (I assume I can withold my own action till after Lenny has acted so Lenny gets to act twice this turn right?)

Stats

Location: V9
HP: 21/64
AC: 19 (so long as I am adjacent to an ally my AC is increased to 19 and all adjacent allies get a +1 bonus to their AC. My AC will drop back to 18 if I am no longer adjacent to an ally)
Stance: Leading the charge. 60ft radius allies deal +5 damage on the charge.
Maneuvers: White raven tactics, Battle leaders Charge, Leading the Attack, Tactical Strike

1 round till I regain my breathe weapon

[Ernir]

Flick

"Don't worry guys, I'm coooooooooooming!" Flick shouts as he runs past the bend and conjures a foul-smelling lime green cloud of smoke around the archers.

Move to W8.
Stinking Cloud on the X17:Y18 intersection.

Stats
HP: 10 11/21 (Fast Healing)
AC/Touch/FF: 20/15/16
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Location: A4
Active Effects:
Mage Armor (10 hours remaining)

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Enlarge Person
Enlarge Person
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Mage Armor, Extended
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren


Dren wrinkled his nose in annoyance at the kobold. The kobold had summoned a scary looking cloud right where he was planning to go. Dren wasn't used to working with mages, or kobolds for that matter.

"I'm sure that cloud will be more effective then I would have been.." Dren reflected with a whisper, his mood lightening. The hobgoblins with the big swords looked well taken care of.

Dren dashes from the bushes to try and enage the injuried hobgoblin archer at the edge of the cloud.

OOC

Dren moves to AA14 and attacks the Hobo archer - A1.

To hit:[roll0]
Damage: [roll1]


(if I miscalculated and AA14 is in the fog cloud Dren will stay put.)




Stats


Location: AA14
HP: 41
AC: 20 (24 AC vs A4)

Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4
Translocation 1

[dspeyer]

@DM

Is the area forested enough that the mage is likely to be sitting in a tree?

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Lenny giggles with glee as his tenticles wrap around the hobgoblins neck in an attempt to make its head pop like an oversized zit!


trying to kill W3 that I'm grappling with, after that dies, attempt to grab B
UAS: [roll0] [roll1]
Tentacle 1: [roll2] [roll3] [roll4] | [roll5] [roll6]
Tentacle 2: [roll7] [roll8] [roll9] | [roll10] [roll11]
EDIT: Crap, TouchAttack2 should be +3, not +2, so that should be a 12...

I'll wait for PId6 to resolve this before taking my WRT turn.


Conditions

Stats
HP: 31/39
AC/Touch/FF: 16/16/16
F/R/W: +10/+3/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining), Expansion (3.6 minutes)

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

@DM

Whiksel climbs the strongest tall tree in the immediate vicinity, doing his best to put his weight on sturdy branches that won't move. Once up, he searches for signs of the mage, either directly, or by effect on the surrounding trees.


Athletics: [roll0]
Stealth: [roll1] - some circumstance penalty for climbing
Perception: [roll2]
Knowledge(nature): [roll3] (hopefully knowing something about trees will help with one or more of the preceding tasks)

[PId6]

@Whiksel
Your knowledge of nature tells you that this is a young White Oak Tree (http://www.trees-online.com/types_of_trees/white_oak.shtml), which is an excellent wildlife source of food mass in the form of acorns. You also know some ways to cling to its bark easily, letting you climb it faster.

With a few swift strides, you manage to bring yourself to a fairly high level without making much noise. As you go up, the sound of the chanting gets louder and louder, until you're close enough that you realize that it appears to be coming from midair. Your sharp hearing allows you to discern the sound of clinking metal very close by.

I'm assuming you sheathe your weapon before climbing, since you need both hands open to climb.

Due to your Knowledge check, I'll let you get up 20 ft this turn. You can pinpoint the guy 10 ft above and 5 ft to one side, in midair. He is clearly invisible.

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Dropping the squished hobgoblin, Lenny turns to the shortsword wielding hobgoblin, tenticles whipping around hungrily.

Tentacle 1: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2]
Tentacle 2: [roll3] [roll4] [roll5] | [roll6] [roll7]
UAS: [roll8] [roll9] [roll10] | [roll11] [roll12]


Conditions
Stats
HP: 31/39
AC/Touch/FF: 16/16/16
F/R/W: +10/+3/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining), Expansion (3.6 minutes)

Note that Lenny's AC doesn't drop for losing his dex bonus while grappling since he doesn't have a dex bonus while expanded.

[PId6]

Alder's halberd stroke caught the hobgoblin in the midriffs, and he twists it as he pulls it out, leaving the hobgoblin to fall to the ground with a gash in its stomach, blood furiously gushing out.

Flick, though late to the scene, makes a startling entrance with his cloud of unsettling gas, causing the three archers to splutter and cough from the fumes. Dren carefully runs to the edge of the cloud and sticks his rapier in an archer, dealing a modest hit. Confused by this, all three archers withdraw to the far edge of the cloud, though not before Dren manages to score another severe hit on the nearest one.

Lenny quickly crushes the poor hobgoblin in his arms, then turns to the one that attempted to attack him before. Though the creature manages to dodge his tentacles through fast reflexes, it was still unable to avoid Lenny's powerful arms pulling it in, nearly crushing all the bones in it body with that one embrace. As Lenny goes for the final blow however, the hobgoblin suddenly vanishes from his arms, causing Lenny to stumble a bit as the weight disappears from his grasp.

Suddenly, bones start ripping themselves from the ground, quickly forming themselves into a coherent shape. The bundle of bones take the shape of a huge, lumbering humanoid shape. Just as that happens, the fires brought about by Kyr's breath weapon start flaring brightly, and pieces of the fire start merging together, forming a roughly solid and humanoid shape. This creature immediately leaps at Lenny's giant form nearby, even as the skeleton on the other side smashes into the poor half-giant.

Fire elemental hits for 4 damage and 1 fire damage. Skeleton hits twice for 10 damage the first time and 22 damage the second time, missing the third. Lenny must make DC 11 Reflex save or start burning for 1d4 rounds.
@Whiksel
The chanting noises have stopped, though from the clinking of metal, you can tell that the spellcaster is still in the same place.
Map:
http://i48.tinypic.com/2gy6hx1.png

You do not know where B has gone. The archers are below the cloud, but you cannot see past it. E is the small fire elemental while S is the skeleton (Large). The red squares are where the foliage is burning.

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Lenny bleeds.


[roll0] vs DC20


Condition
Stats
HP: -5/39
AC/Touch/FF: 16/16/16
F/R/W: +10/+3/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining), Expansion (3.5 minutes)

Dying

[balistafreak]

Kyr

It was like watching a lightning rail wreck in slow motion. The hobgoblin that was about to die escaped. (Ongoing Entanglement Damage.) Something came out of the flames. Something came out of the ground. And then both somethings took down the half-giant like a pair of lions on the same wildebeast.

"Lenny!!!" It takes only one exclamation for Kyr to pull himself together. "Get our mate up, quick, watch the skeleton!"

He screams - or rather, stands in place and issues another breath of cascading flames. They fly through the already flaming forest to coat the skeleton in something akin to Greek fire. (Entangling Fire Breath.)

As soon as he reverses his breath to inhale fresh air, he's gone, shouldering through the forest away from the scene, looking up, down, left, right, for something, anything that could be a caster. Glad I invested in good glasses. (Move, Perception.) "Watch out for casters! Call them out if you see anything! Whiksel, where in blazes are you?"

Round Summary:
Ongoing Entanglement Damage: The duel-wielding hobgoblin "B" takes a last 4 damage, curse his name. The entanglement effect ends at the end of Kyr's turn.
Entangling Fire Breath: Kyr breathes fire on R-W11, hitting the large skeleton for half of 3d6 damage and entangling it for 1d4 rounds, DC 17 Reflex halves. It will be unable to run or charge, move at half speed, take a -4 Dexterity penalty, and a -2 untyped penalty to attack rolls.

Fire Breath Damage: [roll0] fire damage. Half of this number is 5.
Rounds Entangled: [roll1] rounds.

Move: Kyr uses 6 tiles of movement to get to S13 from Q11.
Perception: Kyr is on the lookout.

Spot Check: [roll2].
Listen Check: [roll3].

Character Summary:
Stats:
HP: 22/44; AC: 23, 12 Touch, 21 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 1
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day. (This means Dren is not yet immune.)
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Healing Belt Charges: 1
Position: Q11 S13.

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

Whiksel calls forth a simple illusion: a giant arrow labeled "the mage" pointed at where the spellcasting came from. He does his best to make the arrow follow if the mage moves.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren


Dren curses his luck as the archer slips away from him, injured but not fatally so. He turns back towards the rest of the group and catches sight of the huge skeleton coming out of the ground. Watching the big strange looking guy go down under the skeleton’s assault Dren was filled with some doubt and fear.

“Garl take my eyes… This is easily the worst day I’ve ever had. ” Dren mutters.

“I guess it’s time for some greatness.” He shouts as he runs back to engage the hulking mass of bones.

Weary of the great reach the ‘thing’ had, Dren decided to teleport the last 10 feet. He thrust his little rapier as hard as he could at a junction of rattling bones.

“Hey, here I am, come fight me!” He shouts hoping its not the last thing he does.


OOC


(if the skeleton is still alive by my turn anyways….)

Move action from AA14 to Y13, swift action to teleport to W12 into a flanking position against the skeleton. Attack the skeleton with his rapier.


To hit: [roll0] (+10+2 flank with Adler)
Damage : [roll1] + [roll2] (reduced damage for sneak attacking undead)



Status:

Location: W12

HP: 41
DR: 1/- (up to 10 pts per day)
AC: 20 (24 AC vs skeleton)

Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4
Translocation 0

[Jair Barik]

Alder looks around and spots the forest fire. not good, not good at all... These new monsters appeared to be a more credible threat too. Taking in the battlefield the most useful thing to do at the moment seemed to be getting Lenny back up on his feet and defending his allies, with casters involved as well a change of tactics could be in order...

"Kyr ya fool! Don't set the forest ablaze, we are to save lives not decimate the landscape!" Jumping backwards slightly Alder activates his belt to heal the wounded Lenny then yells a great roar of encouragement to his friends. "Don't let up the attack till the enemy are finished!"


5ft step to V8 and use healing belt on lenny [roll0] healing
Switch stance to bolstering voice. All allies within 60 ft of me get +2 morale bonus on will saves and +4 morale bonus to resist fear effects.

Status

Location: V8
HP: 22/64
AC: 19 (so long as I am adjacent to an ally my AC is increased to 19 and all adjacent allies get a +1 bonus to their AC. My AC will drop back to 18 if I am no longer adjacent to an ally)
Stance: Bolstering voice. Allies within 60ft get +2 morale bonus on will saves and +4 morale bonus to resist fear effects.
Maneuvers: White raven tactics, Battle leaders Charge, Leading the Attack, Tactical Strike

0 round2 till I regain my breathe weapon

[Ernir]

Flick

"Lenny!" :smalleek:

"Time for the big one...", Flick mutters as he takes hold of his necklace, and the ground behind the skeleton starts shaking...

Activate Amber Amulet of Vermin to summon a huge scorpion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/monstrousScorpion.htm) centered on Y11. Standard action to activate, so if it can act on this turn:
Claw attack: [roll0] for [roll1]
If hits, free grapple check: [roll2] for [roll3] constrict damage.

AFB again, so if I missed something, sorry. :smallfrown:

Stats
HP: 11/21
AC/Touch/FF: 20/15/16
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Location: W8
Active Effects:
Mage Armor (10 hours remaining)

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Enlarge Person
Enlarge Person
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Mage Armor, Extended
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Recovering from the blow, Lenny disappears in a flash, reappearing near by with his tenticles writhing.


Anklets of Translocation to U/V 7/8 in a standing position and reaches for the skeleton.

Tentacle 1: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2]
Tentacle 2: [roll3] [roll4] [roll5] | [roll6] [roll7]
UAS: [roll8] [roll9] [roll10] | [roll11] [roll12]


Conditions
Stats
HP: 5/39
AC/Touch/FF: 16/16/16
F/R/W: +10/+3/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining), Expansion (3.5 minutes)

[PId6]

Choosing to breathe a breath of flame, Kyr's fire breath just barely catches the giant skeleton, leaving behind sticky residues that cling to its white limbs and impair its already-clumsy movement.

Within the trees, a large floating image appears, with a giant arrow labeled "The Mage" pointing into midair. The arrow is unmoving.

Dren teleports over to the skeleton, finding a weak point between its joints and stabbing with all his might. The thing barely seems to notice the attack, and only light damage can be seen on the bone structure.

Flick summons a large scorpion next to the skeleton, intent on initiating a Duel of the Summoned Creatures. However, all of its attacks seem to bounce right off of the lumbering creature, its claws not penetrating its armor while its stinger bouncing harmlessly off of the bone. The skeleton ignores the scorpion entirely.

Lenny vanishes and then appears on his feet again, an act that seems to confuse his two assailants. What seemed to confuse the skeleton even more is when tentacles appear out of nowhere, grabbing and invading its crevices with vengeful glee. Taking the skeleton into his grip, Lenny crushes down relentlessly, leaving heavy cracks in the creature's bone structure.

The skeleton is heavily damaged and looks barely standing, but it still moves and it still tries to fight back. Struggling feebly in Lenny's grasp, it attempts to claw at its captor and but fails to even scratch the half-giant.

The elemental, confused at seeing Lenny disappear, decides to go towards the source of the flames. Rushing towards Kyr, the elemental attempts to slam against him, only to be met with armor and shield blocking its way. The elemental writhes in frustration, setting fire to more of the woods in which it dwells.

@Kyr
Despite your acute hearing and sharp senses, you do not spot anything untoward in the vicinity that you did not already know of.

For future reference, active Perception checks like you're doing requires a move action, so you can't breathe/move/spot in the same round. Regardless, you don't spot anything anyway.
@Whiksel
The mage does not move from his spot, possibly not even having noticed the sign hanging behind him. It sounds as if he's started casting another spell.
Map:
http://i47.tinypic.com/jkj6g4.png

Green means allies. Green S indicates Scorpion. Lenny and skeleton are in the same squares grappling. M is the mage sign that Whiksel made, about 30 ft off the ground.

[Ernir]

Flick

"Ah, that would explain it...", Flick mutters, runs forward, and launches a ball of fire.

Flick moves to V11, and does a fireball right next to the arrow, in the location it is pointing at. (30' range on this stuff, if that is an issue, I'll launch it as high as it will go, trying to hit the location with the splash.)
[roll0] fire damage, reflex DC 17 for half.

The scorpion takes a 5' step northwest, and full attacks the skeleton. (No grab attempts.)
Claw 1: [roll1] for [roll2]
Claw 2: [roll3] for [roll4]
Sting: [roll5] for [roll6]

Stats
HP: 11/21
AC/Touch/FF: 20/15/16
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Location: W8 -> V11
Active Effects:
Mage Armor (10 hours remaining)

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Enlarge Person
Enlarge Person
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Mage Armor, Extended
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[Jair Barik]

"Kill that mage before he can summon anything else!"

Alder looks at the arrow and jusges that hios breathe weapon likely can't reach that high so he opts to try and take out a different target. Lowering his halberd he charges the fire creature and, if it is not felled by his mighty weapon, he follows up with a breathe of light flecked with ice cold shards.


Battle leaders charge on the elemental, moving to T11, does not provoke AoO.
[roll0] to hit, [roll1] damage, 1 point is fire, 10 are a bonus from my maneuver.
If this doesn't kill then activates breathe weapon as a swift action. [roll2] cold damage, reflex save dc 17 to halve [roll3] rounds till I can use it again.

Status

Location:T11
HP: 22/64
AC: 16 (17 if an ally moves adjacent to me, charge reduction included already)
Stance: Bolstering voice. Allies within 60ft get +2 morale bonus on will saves and +4 morale bonus to resist fear effects.
Maneuvers: White raven tactics, Battle leaders Charge, Leading the Attack, Tactical Strike

7 rounds till I regain my breathe weapon

[balistafreak]

Kyr

The fire elemental whips a fiery limb at Kyr -

whunk

- only to be stopped by something remotely resembling a mithral door. Behind it, the hawk-faced man smirks a bit. You'll have to do better than that to get me. (Ongoing Entanglement Damage.)

There was a shout; Kyr looks over his shield just in time to see Alder charge into the elemental. Hearing Alder's order, he cries out, "Sir, yes sir! And here's the switch!"

Spinning away from the newly created melee, he beats aside an errant thornbush to position himself underneath the flashing, blinking, illusory arrow. (Move, Provoke AoO.) "Hey there, you sneaky flying fat bastaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa-"

Druids would have cried as yet another gout of flame spews upwards in a minature imitation of an erupting volcano. "Magma" clings to everything it hits, smouldering and starting further fires - and hopefully marking the mage for further tracking. (Entangling Fire Breath.) His energy exhaled, the Adept squints upwards, trying to confirm his hit.

Round Summary:
Ongoing Entanglement Damage: The large skeleton takes 1d6 fire damage and is entangled for 3 more rounds.

Entanglement Damage: [roll0] fire damage.

Move, Provoke AoO: Kyr uses 6 tiles of movement to get to V12 from S13. Doing so provokes an AoO from the fire elemental, although with AC 23 Kyr has little to worry about.
Entangling Fire Breath: Kyr breathes a 30-foot line of fire straight up on the square V12, hitting what he hopes is a flying mage for half of 3d6 damage and entangling it for 1d4 rounds, DC 17 Reflex halves. It will be unable to run or charge, move at half speed, take a -4 Dexterity penalty, and a -2 untyped penalty to attack rolls, and have to take Concentration checks to cast spells both from entanglement and ongoing damage.

Fire Breath Damage: [roll1] fire damage. Half of this number is 6, DC 17 Reflex halves again.
Rounds Entangled: [roll2] rounds.

Character Summary:
Stats:
HP: 22/44; AC: 23, 12 Touch, 21 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 1
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day. (This means Dren is not yet immune.)
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Healing Belt Charges: 1
Position: S13 V12, with an invisible mage 30 feet above him.

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Seeing the skeleton crumble to dust in his hands, Lenny sighs disappointedly. Quickly recovering, he lurches forward toward the smokey outline of the mage.

Move to U/V 10/11 and grab him.
UAS: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2]
[roll3] 51-100 is a hit.


Conditions
Stats
HP: 6/39
AC/Touch/FF: 16/16/16
F/R/W: +10/+3/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining), Expansion (3.4 minutes)

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

Trusting the wreath of flame to point out the mage, Whiksel drops the illusory arrow and lets fly with his sling.


Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1]

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren drops his sword and rapier and reaches over his shoulder for his little bow. Dren grimaces as he drops his favorite weapons, he felt so naked and exposed.

"I've not used this thing is a long time. I hope I remember how it works..." He mumbles.

He nocks an arrow and lets it fly towards the area that was pointed out to him.

OOC


drop weapons (free action), draw bow (move action), shoot at mages square (standard action)

to hit: [roll0]
damage: [roll1]
concealment (low = miss) : [roll2]



status:


Location: W12

HP: 41
DR: 1/- (up to 10 pts per day)
AC: 20 (24 AC vs fire elemental )

Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4
Translocation 0

[PId6]

Flick's ball of fire and Kyr's breath both engulf the location where the mage is, scorching him but also setting fire to most of the foliage around him. Within moments, that entire area is on fire. On the other side, Alder the fire fighter neatly charges to the elemental and hacks it to bits with a single swipe of his halberd.

The scorpion manages to hit the giant skeleton with its two claws, smashing into the cracks in the bone and tearing it to bits in Lenny's arms. Lenny, now freed of the skeleton and enraged at the one that created it, runs towards the mage's location and attempts to fold him into his deadly embrace. Unfortunately, this is made much more difficult by Lenny's inability to find him, and all the smoke blowing around certainly doesn't help.

Sitting on his tree branch, Whiksel takes out his sling and launches a pebble at the mage's location. But the pebble is unable to find its mark, and bounces harmlessly to the ground below. Dren's arrow, however, appears to hit with a clang, then bounces off of some kind of metal armor, falling to the ground below.

Despite all the distractions, the mage appears to have finished his spell, because a giant infernal bug appeared right next to Flick and Dren, sending its fangs right at the little kobold. Even as that happens, the fires around Kyr erupt, spilling forth another elemental which sends its fires towards Dren. But both attacks fail as the small little heroes dodge the hits with ease.

With a clink of metal, the hidden mage moves a step away from the enemies gathered around him. Even as he does, a strand of shadow flies in from the other direction, slipping past the two giants and looping itself around Flick's throat. The shadow chokes the little reptile, causing him to gurgle and claw at his throat before the shadow dissipates.

Flick takes 11 damage. Also roll a DC 14 Fort save or be flat-footed for 1 round.
Map:
http://i46.tinypic.com/30szvxi.png

Mage is 35 ft from ground now, while Kyr is in the same square below him. I is the giant insect that was summoned, while E is the new small fire elemental. The shadow attack at Flick came from the woods to the north of Lenny and the scorpion.

Kyr takes 2 fire damage at the beginning of his turn.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

The volcano was now getting its own back. A flaming branch rained down upon Kyr's head, painfully bouncing off - and setting the ground beneath him on fire. Oh please. (Ongoing Entanglement Damage, Fast Healing.)

"Flick's down, Flick's down! Cover him, I'm a bit busy here!" With another battle cry, a second plume of flame is sent upwards, catching the mage once again. Yet he remains standing there amidst the flames, still looking straight up with fury. (Entangling Fire Breath.)

"We've got archers down there, a mage above, and who knows how many more hobgoblins up there! We can't hold this position for long, we need to get to cover or end it!" His chant-like commentary starts to take an edge of urgency - truly, they were getting harried on all sides.

Even so, he looks ready to continue the fight - but why on earth is he unstrapping his shield? (Loosen Shield.)

Round Summary:

Ongoing Entanglement Damage:The invisible mage takes 1d6 fire damage and would have its entanglement condition end this turn if Kyr didn't breath on him again.

Entanglement Damage: [roll0] fire damage.

Fast Healing: Kyr heals from 20 HP to 21 HP.
Entangling Fire Breath: Kyr breathes another 30-foot line of fire straight up on the square V12, hitting what he hopes is a flying mage for half of 3d6 damage and entangling it for 1d4 rounds, DC 17 Reflex halves (remember that the mage is already entangled, for -2 to his Reflex save). It will be unable to run or charge, move at half speed, take a -4 Dexterity penalty, and a -2 untyped penalty to attack rolls, and have to take Concentration checks to cast spells both from entanglement and ongoing damage.

Fire Breath Damage: [roll1] fire damage. Half of this number is 5, DC 17 Reflex halves again.
Rounds Entangled: [roll2] rounds.

Loosen Shield: Kyr loosens his shield as a move action, losing 3 AC. He does not drop it, however, instead merely holding it in his hands.


Character Summary:
Stats:
HP: 20 21/44; AC: 23 20, 12 Touch, 21 18 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 1
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day. (This means Dren is not yet immune.)
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Healing Belt Charges: 1
Position: V12, with an invisible mage 35 feet above him and surrounded by flames.

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

I think I can leave the mage to the others. Now let me get out of here before this tree catches fire.

Whiksel swings to dangle from his branch, then drops, rolling on the ground to avoid injury.


Free action: drop
Acrobatics: [roll0]

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

Ouch, won't try that again in a hurry, but not too bad

Whiksel dashes across the path and disappears into the northern woods, hunting for whoever sent that shadow-tendril


new location: v6
nonlethal damage: [roll0]
Stealth (once in the northern woods): [roll1]
Perception: [roll2]

In general:
Knowledge(arcana):[roll3]
Knowledge(nature):[roll4]
Knowledge(the planes):[roll5]
Martial Lore(untrained):[roll6]

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

SQUASH BUG!


Can't really move, so I'll stay put and see if I can do somethin about the bug.

Tentacle 1: [roll0] [roll1] [roll2]
Tentacle 2: [roll3] [roll4] [roll5] | [roll6] [roll7]
UAS: [roll8] [roll9] [roll10] | [roll11] [roll12]

Conditions
Stats
HP: 7/39
AC/Touch/FF: 16/16/16
F/R/W: +10/+3/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining), Expansion (3.3 minutes)

[Jair Barik]

Alder moves through the forest getting up close to the new fire elemental. He has no idea what is going on but he can guess as to why these things are appearing.

"Kyr! Don't breathe any more fire for the time being, something seems to be making monsters out of it!"
Taking in a deep breathe of air Alder breathes a stream of cold light at the fire creature in an attempt to extinguish it and the flames about it.


Move to U13 then cold breathe weapon east at the elemental for [roll0] cold damage, halved on a dc17 reflex save. Can use breathe weapon again in [roll1] rounds

Status

Location:T11
HP: 24/64
AC: 19
Stance: Bolstering voice. Allies within 60ft get +2 morale bonus on will saves and +4 morale bonus to resist fear effects.
Maneuvers: White raven tactics, Battle leaders Charge, Leading the Attack, Tactical Strike

[Ernir]

Flick

Flick chokes, coughs up blood, and is reminded of growing up. "Just... like... home." he mutters, crawling between legs and dodging blows in the thick of the battle, getting away from the heat. The scorpion turns towards the great insect that appeared, stinger whipping and claws snapping.

On the edge of unconsciousness, Flick starts wondering what it is that is causing the elementals to appear.

The scorpion full attacks the insect.
Claw 1: [roll0] for [roll1]
Claw 2: [roll2] for [roll3]
Sting: [roll4] for [roll5] and [roll6] con damage, fort DC 14 negates.

Flick withdraws to S7, and tries to remember what makes elementals appear. :smalltongue:
If it's Arcana, Local or Dungeoneering: [roll7]
If it's some other knowledge skill: [roll8]


Stats
HP: 1/21
AC/Touch/FF: 20/15/16
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Location: V11 -> S7
Active Effects:
Mage Armor (10 hours remaining)

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Enlarge Person
Enlarge Person
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Mage Armor, Extended
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren stows his bow back over his shoulder. He'd lost track of the invisible mage thing and it could be anywhere by now.

He picks up both his swords and re-arms himself.

Dren throws a nervous look to the bushes to the north.

OOC

Dren stows his bow (move action) and picks up his weapons that are lying at his feet (move action).




Status:


Location: W12

HP: 41
DR: 1/- (up to 10 pts per day)
AC: 20 (24 AC vs NA - no visible enemies at the moment. )

Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4
Translocation 0

[PId6]

Kyr's breath of flame flares upward, catching the still-invisible caster fully. Through the thick smoke of the burning woodland, you can see a glimpse of a metal-geared figure right before it falls out of the sky. Kyr barely dodges the body before it thuds into the ground next to him. That annoying summoner is finally dead.

Lenny, with his usual grace and charm, convinces the disgusting oversized vermin to go out with him, have a drink, and hug him until it falls asleep, skipping the first two steps. Within moments, the giant fellow is covered in bug juices, all of which blissfully vanishes as the spell ends.

Alder's breath of cold catches the fire elemental fully, leaving but a trail of steam where it once stood. The small fires that the elemental brought into the woodland were also put out by his chilling breath, and only a hissing sound and a thin mist remain.

Flick's scorpion, finding no enemy to attack, simply sits on its claws and waits. The kobold himself runs backward to avoid the fighting, only to find the hobgoblin with the twin swords right beside him at his supposed spot of safety. Luckily, out of three strokes of the sword, only a single one hit, dealing a glancing blow to the little mage that is yet still enough to send him crashing to the ground.

Take 2 damage. If you're healed to 0 or higher during this turn, you may act.
Map:
http://i45.tinypic.com/jkknb7.png

The spellcaster is dead and his body is lying in Kyr's square. B is the same dual shortsword guy from before. Kyr takes 1 damage from fire.
@Whiksel
At first, you don't detect anything. However, as soon as the shortswords-wielding hobgoblin attacked Flick, you are able to tell quite easily where he was. You do not detect anything else untoward in the area.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

There, I'll climb up after that bugger and OH SHI -

With a nimble sidestep, he dodges some several hundred pounds of metal and crisp hobgoblin that crash-land (more crash than land) into a nearby fire. Well, that was cl-hothothothotHOT-

Realizing that he so elegantly stepped into a fire, Kyr, still lugging his unsecured shield in both hands, flees the scene. Fortunately, his wounds were minor enough to reknit themselves almost immediately, although the same could not be said about his dignity. (Fast Healing, Move.)

Sliding back down into the road, the hawk-faced man slams his spectacles back up on his nose just in time to see the duel-wielder hobgoblin take a piece out of Flick. "Target ahead of me, Flick's down, I'll cover!" he cries. "Whiksel, back me up!" As he dashes towards Flick's prone body, he heeds Alder's suggestion to not burn more forest and instead -

"Freeze, miscreaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan-"

- blasts a cone of supercooled liquids. Plants wither and die anyways, but at least it's not a forest fire. (Entangling Cold Breath.)

Round Summary:
Fast Healing: Kyr heals from 20 HP to 21 HP. Again.
Move: Kyr uses 6 tiles of movement to get from V12 to S8.
Entangling Cold Breath: Kyr breaths a 15-foot cone of cold straight north, hitting squares R5-6, S5-7 (Flick is immune), and T5-6 for half of 3d6 cold damage, DC 16 Reflex halves, entangling it for 1d4 rounds. It will be unable to run or charge, move at half speed, take a -4 Dexterity penalty and a -2 untyped penalty to attack rolls, and have to take Concentration checks to cast spells both from entanglement and ongoing damage.

Cold Breath Damage: [roll0] cold damage. Half of this is 8, DC 16 Reflex halves again.
Rounds Entangled: [roll1] rounds.

Note: Kyr is lugging his mithral door-sized shield with him still. Although it is not strapped to his arm for normal use, Kyr has both hands free. Can he still claim some/all of his shield bonus as he clasps the thing in both hands?


Character Summary:
Stats:
HP: 20 21/44; AC: 20, 12 Touch, 18 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 1
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day. (This means Dren is not yet immune.)
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Healing Belt Charges: 1
Position: V12 S8.

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

I should have spotted him sooner. He was probably invisible. I still should have spotted him sooner.

Whiksel advances the necessary step and carves the goblin with all his fury.


Rabid Wolf Strike
Attack: [roll0]
Damage: [roll1] + [roll2]

AC drops to 18 for one round. I provide flanking from all sides.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren moved to the injuried kobold. He bent over the hapless kobold and used the power stored in his belt. Normally he would let a dying kobold die, but this one seemed different. If he was a friend of Alder's that was good enough for Dren.

OOC

move to T8, use 1 charge of Dren's healing belt on Flick

[roll0]




status
Location: T7

HP: 41
DR: 1/- (up to 10 pts per day)
AC: 20 (24 AC vs B - if Dren sees him )

Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4
Translocation 0
healing belt 2 charges left

[Ernir]

Flick

"Hey, guys! I think found the one with the swo-" *SLASH*
Before the gnome manages to run over and close the wound through which his guts were spilling, Flick tumbles over, unconscious. After the healing, he blinks, surprised at being alive, and whispers:
"Thanks. I'm outta here!"

Cast Benign Transposition defensively. Concentration check, DC 16: [roll0]
If succeeds, Flick and the scorpion change places (scorpion centered on S6:T7, meaning it and the hobgob share a space).
Claw 1: [roll1] for [roll2]
Claw 2: [roll3] for [roll4]
Sting: [roll5] for [roll6] and [roll7] con damage, fort DC 14 negates.

Stats
HP: 5/21
AC/Touch/FF: 20/15/16
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Location: S7 (W10?)
Active Effects:
Mage Armor (10 hours remaining)

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Enlarge Person
Enlarge Person
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Mage Armor, Extended
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[Jair Barik]

Seeing his allies have the situation well under hand Alder opts to approach the building cautiously, on the look out for any of the remaining archers.


Move to T16. Fighting defensively.
Switching to Leading the Charge stance.


Status

Location:T16
HP: 25/64
AC: 20
Stance: Leading the charge. 60ft radius allies deal +5 damage on the charge.
Maneuvers: White raven tactics, Battle leaders Charge, Leading the Attack, Tactical Strike

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Lenny focuses on his belt a second, then moves down the road.

Activate Belt of Healing for [roll0] healing then moves to X/Y 12/13.


Conditions
Stats
HP: 21/39
AC/Touch/FF: 16/16/16
F/R/W: +10/+3/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining), Expansion (3.2 minutes)

[PId6]

Kyr's frost breath sends a wave of cold over both Flick and the hobgoblin, but due to his previous magic, only the hobgoblin is hurt. Despite his quick reflexes, the lithe hobgoblin manages to stumble over an unnoticed twig, preventing him from dodging the full blast of the breath.

Even as the bladebearer shivers from the clinging cold, Whiksel steps up to him and carves through the hobgoblin's chest with his blade in a savage fit. As he stares at the sword in his gut in shock, the little kobold suddenly transforms into a giant scorpion finishes him with a swipe of its claws.

@Alder
From your vantage point, you do not see any signs of the enemies.
Map:
http://i50.tinypic.com/33xf2p3.png

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren turns around after seeing the dual wielding hobgoblin go down and chases after Alder.

"Careful, they may be in the farmhouse" his whispers to his drinking buddy.

OOC


Unfortunately Dren's postion on the map is incorrect - but its not a huge deal.

Dren moves to T15 (from his actual position, this takes about 10 squares of movement or 2 move actions )




status


Location: T15

HP: 41
DR: 1/- (up to 10 pts per day)
AC: 20 (24 AC vs NA - no targets in sight )
Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4
Translocation 0
healing belt 2 charges left

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Lenny focuses on his belt, his eyes scanning the edge of the cloud, tentacles whipping around excitedly.

[roll0]

Conditions
Stats
HP: 30/39
AC/Touch/FF: 16/16/16
F/R/W: +10/+3/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining), Expansion (3.1 minutes)

[Jair Barik]

"Can't see any of them from here. Don't have a clear view into the building though. Think they've pulled a runner or not?"

Alder stands at the ready and performs a quick flourish with his weapon to stay prepared.


Regain maneuvers

Status

Location:T16
HP: 26/64
AC: 20
Stance: Leading the charge. 60ft radius allies deal +5 damage on the charge.
Maneuvers: White raven tactics, Battle leaders Charge, Leading the Attack, Tactical Strike

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Shouting with triumph as the hobgoblin is ripped apart, Kyr cries south to the forming second team, "Clear on our end! We're headed down!" (Fast Healing.)

After a quick scan to make sure that no hostiles are lurking in the area, he turns and jogs to meet up with the rest of the party. (Move.) Along the way, he turns and sprays the burning area of forest with cold, smothering flames and ruining the fuel that would otherwise burn. (Cold Breath.)

Round Summary:
Fast Healing: Kyr heals from 21 HP to 22 HP, the maximum possible from the Vigor aura.
Move: Kyr uses 5 tiles of movement to get to U11 from S8.
Cold Breath: Kyr breathes a 15-foot cone of cold straight west, hitting tiles R10-12, S10-12, and T11, putting out the fires. If for some reason there's an enemy in there, he'll take 3d6 cold damage, DC 16 Reflex halves, although I sincerely doubt that.

Character Summary:
Stats:
HP: 21 22/44; AC: 20 21, 12 Touch, 18 19 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 1
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day. (This means Dren is not yet immune.)
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Healing Belt Charges: 1
Position: S8 U11.

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

"I'll meet you guys down there"

Preferring to keep under cover, Whiksel jogs across the road and then sneaks through the underbrush to the south, looking for archers.


New location:T13
Stealth: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

[Ernir]

Flick

"Eyes open!"

Cast See Invisibility, assuming no new foes are revealed, I move to W13.

Mr. Scorpion moves towards any foe it senses if it senses one, if it doesn't, it trails Flick (to X10:Y11).Stats
HP: 6/21
AC/Touch/FF: 20/15/16
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Location: W10 -> W13
Active Effects:
Mage Armor (10 hours remaining)
See Invisibility (50 minutes remaining)
Insightful Divination +2

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Enlarge Person
Enlarge Person
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Mage Armor, Extended
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[PId6]

The fetid fog dissipates, leaving only a nasty smell behind. Through the now-clear air, you see no enemies in the clearing before you, and all is quiet in the summer day. You are left with only a few bodies upon the ground and some small fires lighting up the trees.

You are out of initiative now. There is one patch of fire left. None of you see/hear anything.

[Jair Barik]

Adopting a defensive position Alder moves round to the door of the barn and looks inside to see if there are any more Hobgoblins inside, or at the very least evidence of what the enemy are doing here.

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

"I don't trust this... Everybody keep a sharp eye out. I'm going to get some elevation."

True to his word, Whiksel climbs the highest thing in the immediate area and looks for more signs of enemies.


Athletics: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

[PId6]

Inside, Alder finds the remnants of a crude campsite. A few dirty bedrolls line the ground, while a banked cooking fire sits in the middle. No living creature can be seen here, and there is nothing else of interest in this room.

However, it's a second room of the farmhouse that greets you with a horrific sight. There, along the north wall, you find a stack of bodies piled upon each other. Most of them appear to be gnomes, though you can see one human corpse at the bottom of the pile. The human is dressed in the ragged clothing of a farmer, while some of the gnomes wear torn padded or leather armor. Bloody wounds can be seen on all of them.

Whiksel, deciding to get a better view, climbs to the top of the farmhouse with ease despite his short stature. But, even from that vantage point, he does find evidence of any other enemies still living. The hobgoblin marksmen appear long gone.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

"Holler if ya see anything, Whiksel. Flick, you too - actually, that goes for all of us." Firstly, he hurries into the forest and as quickly yet thoroughly as possible extinguishes all the fires he can see, and freezes the areas around for good measure. When he's finished with this, he walks over to each other party member, giving them a once-over visually - and surreptitiously letting some of his aura mend the wounds of the worst-off.

When he finishes this, he confronts the newcomer Whisper Gnome. Stopping in front of him, Kyr squares himself against him, making a somewhat exaggerated display of resecuring his shield. "So, you there! Yes, you." Tucking his free hand behind his back, he leans forward, both to get a better view of his face and to lower himself a bit to make face-to-face conversation less difficult. A scowl stretches itself across his face. "Thanks for the assist, mate, but you could have at least made your entry a bit more obvious. You do realize we could have accidentally associated you with them?"

His displeased expression suddenly lightens up, however, and he extends his hand down in greeting. "Regardless, you handled yourself well. Name's Kyr... no family name, but that's aside from the point," he notes with a wry twist of his face. "What's yours?"

Follow Up:
After they exchange greetings, Kyr accompanies Dren, keeping an eye on him.

All party members should heal to half HP, rounded up (the Vigor aura will heal you when you are at half, rounded down.)

After Action Report:
Stats:
HP: 22/44; AC: 21 23, 12 Touch, 19 21 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 1
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day. (This means Dren is not yet immune.)
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Healing Belt Charges: 1
Position: U11 Out of initiative and wandering.

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

Whiksel climbs down and joins the others.

"No sign of them", he reports, "which is worrying in itself. For now, can anyone spare some healing for me? Also, we should put out those fires before they spread. Alder, can you do that?"

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren looks over at the massive body of a nearby hobgoblin, then takes a half step back to look at himself.

"Yes, I'd see how you'd be confused..." he says dryly. "I think my entry was obvious enough, at least it was to the hobgoblins..." Dren wipes blood off his rapier and sheaths his weapons properly.


"It's a pleasure to meet ya, Kyr of nofamilyname" Dren says with a geniune smile. "Everyone just calls me 'Dren' on account of it being my name. Dren, the swordsgnome" he mumbles. Dren takes Kyr's offered hand and pumps it eagerly.

"My mates and former employers were ambushed near here a few hours ago. " Dren explains darkly and stares at the farmhouse where he saw the bodies being dragged to. "I couldn't let that happen to anyone else...."

"We should make sure to leave nothing behind for the hobgoblins. They will most likely be back. If we don't take it, we should destory it. The hobgoblins are acting very strange and organized. Something big is up."

Dren keeps half an eye on Flick at all times.

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Lenny crosses his arms across his chest, then crosses his tentacles across his arms and stands in front of the door like an oversized bouncer, all the while keeping a watchful eye on Whiksel.

[Jair Barik]

Alder gets on to the fire blowing it out with his icy breathe and then runs back over to the others.

"Not a pretty sight in the barn. Looks like the hobgoblins set up base there after killing the farmer. There's a pile of bodies in the second room. One human, the farmer, and the rest are gnomes who looked at least partially combat ready. Friends of yours Dren? What were you doing out here anyway?"

[balistafreak]

Kyr

"A pile of... bodies?" With a scowl on his face, Kyr wordlessly abandons Dren to sweep into the room. Met with the sight and stench of corpses, he steels himself for the upcoming task.

Dragging each of the bodies into the open, where it can be identified and searched.

Attempting to do so in the shade if at all possible, Kyr explains as he rolls up his sleeves and picks up one corpse underneath the arms, never mind the stench and the blood on his jacket. "Each of these people had a story behind them. Now it's cut. It's only right for us to try and find out who they were... what they were doing here."

After laying out each of them, Kyr kneels down and starts rifling through their personal effects if any remain, stacking anything found neatly next to each respective body. "Whiksel, Dren... the hobgoblins might have looted valuables already. Search the house and the surrounding area for anything. I..." He looks down at his bloody hands wearily. "... I'll do this so you don't have to, eh?"

Mechanics:
Search: [roll0] or take 20+12 if possible. For purposes of Searching, I have the highest base modifier of +12, followed by Whiksel with +11, Dren with +9, and Flick with +7. Whiskel and Dren can Aid Another for a guaranteed +4 to the result, and Flick, Alder, and Lenny can try.

Basically, feel free to make checks using the best modifier of the party if you see something or want to do something (within reasonable bounds) even if your personal modifier sucks. It's pedantic to drag the same skillmonkeys around to do everything, so let's just RP what we do and roll with our best.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren leans up against a tree in some shade and pulls out his everfull mug and guzzles a quick pint of ale.

"It's been a long day...I could use a drink." He mumbles to himself.


"Do you guys think we should camp here or push on to the city?" Dren asks no one in particular but loud enough for everyone to hear.

Dren's eyes are drawn towards the growing mountain of equipment being assembled.

"Not a bad haul..." he mumbles again. He looks over towards the kobld and asks "Can you see if there is any magic stuff over there or identify it?"

[Ernir]

Flick

Flick leans over the pile of items, sniffing potions and inspecting the reflection the swords make in the sunlight, and other even stranger things, apparently with the intent to identify their function, muttering the entire time. "Refractive index 0.8... magical saturation percentage looks minimal... hardness noticeably improved..."

After announcing the results of his findings, he turns back towards the corpses.

"I know something of gnomish funeral rites, but from what I remember my shaman saying, they are long ceremonies involving cannibalism and something about the blood of virgins. I don't think we have quite the time to reproduce that no offense, Dren, but really, days? We just don't have those!, so I say we burn the corpses and get back on our way. Hmm, odd that no one at the mage guild ever said anything about those gnomish rites..." He takes a long breath, and starts talking again. "I say we continue. Considering the average length of road a single raider must haunt in order to be able to sustain himself, I say we are rather unlikely to encounter another on the stretch between here and the settlement. I'd consider non-territorial raiders attacking during the night being a much more likely scenario."

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren



Dren scowls at Flick long and hard. He walks up to the little kobold and towers over him with his hand on his weapon hilts.

"No mate, you got that all wrong. Gnome funeral rites revolve around the fresh blood of smart-ass kobolds...." Dren explains somberly. "The cannibalism and blood of virgins is for birthdays."

"A Funeral pyre will satify Garl Glittergold.."


Dren pats the kobold on the back and channels some healing magic into Flick.





After Flick is healed to half health, Dren will give him another charge from his healing belt (the pat on the back). This leaves Dren with 1 charge in reserve for an emergency.

[roll0]




"Alder, did you finish your spirit quest or dragon mission thingy?" Dren had trouble remembering the details though as he was frequently drunk during their talks previously.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

The grisly business was done. There was nothing to identify the bodies - any valubles must have been in the pockets of the escaped archers. Cursing with a vitriolic anger, he stands up from his position over the last body and sighs. It's more than mere venting; cold washes over his bloodied hands, freezing the grime but leaving his hands perfectly intact and warm. A couple claps later, and red shards litter the ground, swiftly melting into the ground. He repeats the same on his clothes, whacking off the stains from his own precious bodily fluids. I have got to get myself a better way of cleaning. Wands come to mind.

With a final puff of breath and slap of a sleeve, he calls out his findings to his mates. "I've got nothing, mates. Nothing to identify them... not even the slightest hint. Come over here, and let's say some words you will over them before we pass them on..."

After all have gathered:
"I wish I could have known you guys. I mean, that sounds really shallow, but it'd be something. You probably had stories to tell... tales of family, friends, adventures... kind of like what we're doing now." He sniffs a bit, not just for effect. "Well, we got most of them. A few escaped, but hopefully you'll be the last of their victims. We'll keep you alive through our memories, the hobgoblins on the highway. Peace..."

After everyone has said everything they need, Kyr torches the bodies with several gouts of fire. He'll burn the farmhouse too if a majority of party members agree.

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Lenny gazes at the rising flames, memories of adventures past and comrads fallen and the horrible torment at the hands of his former illithid master. A single tear slides silently down his stoney cheek. When the flames reach their peak, Lenny tilts his head back and releases a single howl of anguish, raging against the world itself, before collecting himself to gaze somberly at the remainder of the flames.

[Jair Barik]

"No my drunk little friend. It was nothing like that. Mine is an ongoing quest, one that I cannot really hope to complete. This right here is both a success and a failure. Yes we have defeated some of the enemies forves but others have escaped and we were not in time to save your fellow gnomes. I vote we pack everything we can carry up and leave for the town as soon as the pyre is started. Our archer friends may be raising an attack against them even as we speak."

During the funeral pyres lighting Alder is silent out of respect for the dead.

[PId6]

The fire of the pyre adds warmth to the already smoldering day. Before long, the fire burns the bodies to ashes, and you make ready to get back on the road and on your way, stowing your new-found gear and putting the memories of the battle behind you. You walk the last stretch of the road with little incident, the afternoon sun blazing brightly from above the whole way.

After an hour's march, you find the road descending into a small town built mostly on the near side of a broad, sluggish river. Six old stone piers jut from the water, marking the spot where a bridge once stood, but the span itself is long gone. Instead, a couple of long thick ropes cross the river, each secured to a flat-bottomed ferryboat. Brown fields and green orchards surround the town, and the trees of the lush Witchwood can be seen beyond.

A group of armed townsfolk, three in leather, one in mail, stands guard beside a couple of tall watchposts, watching you warily as you cross the clearing to the edge of town. The one in mail, a burly man with a curling waxed mustache, moves to block your way as you come close to town, wary but not hostile. He leaves his weapon in his sheathe, though he does glance worriedly between the half-giant and the kobold a bit. "Halt and state your business, strangers," he says once you come within a few yards.

[Jair Barik]

Alder stows his weapon away and steps forwards raising a hand in peace.

"Hail friends! We have come from Brindol to investigate the hobgoblin attacks around these parts. We would have been here sooner but we were waylaid by a small band of the hobgoblins on our way here."

[PId6]

"Hobgoblins attacked you, you say?" the man asks, scratching his cheek. "I'm not surprised really; bands of those murderous savages have been have been skulking near town for days now. I'd say you're lucky to have survived, though your group looks formidable, if a bit bizarre. Where did you see them?"

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Kyr chuckles at Alder's statement. "A small band of hobgoblins? You're too modest, mate. There were about a dozen of the bastards, and we still missed three of them." A dark expression flits across his face before resetting itself to something more exasperated. "You say that there are bands, plural? Good god, if they're all like that..."

The spectacled man steps up to the front of the group, ever-so-carefully placing himself between the speaker and the more exotic members of his group. "The hobgoblins ambushed us perhaps an hour's quick march back. I should know, I found out when two swords introduced themselves with my torso." Shifting his shield to his side, he turns a bit to show the large gaping rents in his jacket with a scowl, then turns back to face the man. "We fought against a well-trained and organized foe. These were no individual murderers banding together for safety and solace. They even had a cleric! Say what you will, but lemme tell you this; regular old bandits don't fight like that."

Flicking his weighed jacket hem in irritance, he sighs and drops his agitated demeanor, breaking out into smiles to catch the mustached man off guard. "Well, regardless, are you going to let us cross? I presume that you're not a fan of hobgoblins killing people, either, mate? We need to speak with whoever's in charge of cleaning up this mess. I don't think this is going to be a problem that just the six of us can handle."

Mechanics:
Diplomacy: [roll0]. We have "Just Met". By pushing the fact that we're here to help, I attempt to make the proposition of letting us cross the bridge "Favorable". If there is a toll to cross, Kyr attempts to bargain it away, citing identification of the dead in town (by describing the number and dress of the dead found in the farmhouse) and their goal in the near future of driving away (or even wiping out) the hobgoblin raiders. "You wouldn't make us pay to help you guys, would you?"

[Ernir]

Flick

Flick says nothing for once, busy admiring the main guard's moustache, wondering how he gets it to stick in its current shape. Some species' ability to grow hair on their heads and faces never ceases to amaze him.

[PId6]

"Well, you seem like nice enough folk," he says, though he glances uncomfortably at the kobold staring intently at his mustache. "The news you bring is troubling; I don't think I've ever heard of goblins being so organized before. Maybe that's why we haven't seen anyone else come into town lately..." He grimaces, shaking his head.

"Anyway, you're free to go into town; just don't make trouble and we won't have any problems. If you want to help, go over to the Old Toll House - that's the big stone building right there - and ask for Captain Soranna. Tell her what you just told me, and she'll sort things out." Turning away, he goes back to his post and sits down again under the shadow of the watchpost, glad to be out of the afternoon sun.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Kyr gives the man a nod - then stands nonplussed as Lenny makes tracks towards the forest, planning on fording the river. "Errrr... mate? Town's over here. There's a forest there, but that's not exactly where we should be going? Hey, you're carrying all our stuff, don't get it wet, ya know!"

After dragging Lenny away from his misguided adventure, Kyr attempts to lead the party to the Old Toll House as directed, asking for Captain Soranna when he gets there.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

"Hey where you going?" Dren calls out to Kyr. "Lets sell the junk we are lugging around and then report in. We'll keep anything magical till we can identify it. But I'd rather not lug around 500 extra pounds of crap we don't need."

[balistafreak]

Kyr

The jacketed man stops in his tracks at Dren's words. He turns, raises a finger, and opens his mouth as if to speak - then stops when he sees the huge sack that Lenny's carrying. After hanging in that rather undignified pose for a few seconds, he recenters himself and nods.

"We do need to offload, but..." Shrugging off his Haversack, he tosses it to Dren. "Handle that. The dead need to be accounted for... more urgent than money. I trust you won't get ripped off, alright?"

If there are no real complaints, Kyr will head off to meet Captain Soranna.

[PId6]

OOC:
Great, you're splitting the party. :smallannoyed:

Who's going with whom? Each of you choose whom you're following and make it clear in your posts. While split, put something in parenthesis next to your names that makes it clear where you are. Examples:

Kyr (Old Toll House)
Dren (Selling Gear)
Old Toll House:

With the place pointed out, Kyr and the others have no trouble finding the Old Toll House. It's a large building, two floors tall, probably the biggest and sturdiest building in town. It stands at the foot of the old stone bridge, pieces of which still jut from the river. The doors of the place are wide open, and two militia members stand outside, though they make no attempts to stop you from entering.

Immediately, upon entering the building, you spot a man and a woman off in one corridor in deep conversation. The man is a tall, balding man with a neatly trimmed beard wearing clean clothing, while the woman looks to be a capable swordswoman, wearing metal armor and a sword. You just manage to catch the words "attack" and "hobgoblins" before they notice your entry and stop.

"How can I help you, strangers?" the woman asks as she turns towards you, her tone is curt and business-like.

Selling Gear:

At first, it's not quite so obvious where you can unload your gear. You wander around town for a bit, getting a sense of the place. Directly next to where you entered town, you see a small wooden building, with the symbol of Pelor emblazoned brightly atop its door, likely indicating a temple to the Sun God. Down the street, you see a variety of other buildings, ranging from a stone building with the sign of a hammer and anvil hanging above the door, to what appears to be a tavern with the picture of a large green apple drawn on a signboard.

I'm going to assume you explore the town a bit and ask the locals for directions and pointers, so I'll label some points on the map.

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/rhod_maps/95681.jpg

4. The Green Apple (cheap taphouse and inn)
5. Morlin's Smithy (town smith)
6. Shrine of Pelor
7. House of Sertieren the Wise (local wizard)
8. Old Toll House (multipurpose town hall, guard headquarters, and courthouse/jail)
10. The Old Bridge Inn (larger and more expensive inn)
11. Jarett's Sundries (general store)
12. Delora's Livery Stable
14. The Ferry - This takes you to the other side of town for a moderate fee.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren scrunches up his nose at Kyr's statement about 'the dead being more important than money'. Quite frankly Dren thought the opposite but let it slide.



A series of illicit thoughts ran through Dren's head as Kyr handed over his Handy Haversack. His desire to get to the bottom of the hobgoblin problem kept him honest though.

Before the week was out he was sure he would need to depend on his new comrades. Trust was a fleeting commodity, more scares than gold sadly. "Maybe next time..." he thought to himself.



Dren tried to coax Lenny, who had most of the rest of the unwanted gear, to come with him. He was still unsure how to motivate Lenny, so he just tried his best and let the coins fall where they may.


"Umm...er... Lenny Come. Come Lenny! Whose a good boy! C'mon. Heel" He called out to the larger man. His techique worked like alchemist's fire with badgers.. real people were a bit more of a mystery to Dren.


"Does someone else want to come to? I...Umm.. don't have the best luck with merchants" Explains Dren as he peels off from the group.

Dren approaches the stone building with the hammer and Anvil sign, peaking his head in the door with caution.


OOC:


Dren is hoping Lenny comes along as he has most of the gear along with someone else with some charisma to do the haggling. *shrug*
If not, Dren will soldier on and try it himself.

[balistafreak]

OOC:
Oh come off it PId6, it's faster this way. You're not going to have us be ambushed by ninjas here, are you? :smalltongue:

Dren, remember that we're using shared modifiers. As long as you make a good show of it, you can use my preposterous +19 modifier to Diplomacy. Don't forget to Aid Another. :smallwink:
Kyr

Now facing off against what appear to be two authority figures, Kyr clasps his hands together and bows. The action accentuates the large mithral shield strapped onto his arm, emphasizing his adventurer role. "Excuse my intrusion, sir; ma'am. My compatriots and I just arrived in town, and I believe we have relevant news." By retracting his pose, he reveals the damage and wounds taken an hour earlier. "I think we found one of your raider groups," he drawls sardonically.

"Before we continue, let me introduce myself. Kyr." He extends a hand. "May I have your names as well?"

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Prior to entering the city, Lenny carefully coils his tentacles around his waist, cinching his belt in such a way as to cover the slots his tentacles normally protrude from.

Hearing Dren summon him in such a fasion, Lenny scowls deeply at Dren, but doesn't speak. Instead, he simply shoulder's the pack and follows the Gnome.

[Jair Barik]

Alder follows Kyr silently. The man seems a bit too cheerful for his liking considering the current state of affairs but he seems to have a way with words so he intends to let him do the speaking for the time being.

[Ernir]

Flick

Flick trots along with the group that is selling gear.

[PId6]

Old Toll House:

"Raider groups?" the man exclaims, his eyebrows raised high. The woman, however, steps forward and takes Kyr's offered hand. "Captain Soranna," she introduces herself briskly. Quickly following suit, the man shakes each of your hands as well. "Norro Wiston, Speaker of Drellin's Ferry, at your service." He gives a quick stare at Alder when shaking the reptilian hand, but doesn't comment.

"Now tell me," Soranna says, getting right to business, "Who are all of you exactly and what news are you talking about?"

Selling Gear:

You enter the smithy. Inside, you find a stiflingly warm room with various metal tools scattered about all over the place. Well-forged weapons and armors hang from the walls, gleaming with the red light of the brightly-lit forge. At one of the workbenches, a ninja dwarf with a thick brown beard wearing an apron appears to be hammering at a piece of iron, while two younger dwarves, likely apprentices, scurry about in the background doing random work.

"What'd ya want?" the dwarf, likely the eponymous owner of the smithy, shouts above the din of the workshop as you enter.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Kyr smiles at Soranna as she interrogates them. "Cut to the chase, I appreciate that." Swiftly moving on before any comment can be made, he begins his story.

"My mates and I were ambushed by perhaps a dozen hobgoblins, and not any sort of individual riff-raff either. But if you don't mind..." and he makes a somewhat pained face, "Could you get us a healer? We took some non-trivial wounds, and we're tapped out as it is. We don't need curative magic if there's none to spare - we're not about to die here - just someone with good medical knowledge." A small white lie - he had one charge left in his belt - but truthfully in his mind that was for emergency purposes only, and he was loathe to spend it heedlessly. He seeks a seat if one is available, unstrapping his huge shield and leaning it against a nearby wall within reach. For a man who took three greatswords to the chest, he's in relatively good shape, although unnatural bodily stability and flash-heals of positive energy were no match for good old-fashioned rest.

"Back to business. These hobgoblins definitely deserve the name "raiders". They're pulling organized ambushes, falling back to more defensible positions, and - most telling - they have full-powered mages on their payroll." He makes a face. "Our particular friend dropped several flaming elementals along with an oversized skeleton and insect. Oh, and while flying through the air invisible." Rubbing his forehead, he shifts the burnt hem of his more-than-slightly damaged jacket.

At this point it becomes painfully clear to his compatriots that Kyr is pointedly attempting to conceal the fact that they are trained, armed, and dangerous adventurers, trying to delay that bit of news until after he's garnered their sympathy and gotten a better idea of the situation for maximum dramatic impact.

"We came across some... fallen... while we were there. A farmer, and four gnomes..." Turning to Norro Wiston, the town speaker, he describes them as best as he can - which should be with no small amount of detail, as he literally combed each body before cremating them personally. "Do they sound like anyone you know? Or were expecting? They were brutally killed, no doubt, and as far as I could tell looted already."

Mechanics:
Kyr is asking for someone with the Heal skill, thinking that a Cleric or such would be too occupied with the needs of his/her flock to heal six new strangers.

In case Soranna or Wiston are suspicious about the details, Bluff check.

Bluff: [roll0], opposed by Sense Motive.

I have no idea if this is needed, but just in case, Diplomacy check.

Diplomacy: [roll1], DC unknown.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren


“Excuse me good dwarf, we have recently come into possession of some weapons and armor. Their former hobgoblin owners have no need for them now.” Dren makes a disgusted face when he says ‘hobgoblin’ as if it left a bad taste in his mouth.

“I was wondering if you would be interested in buying these items? If not, could you maybe point us in the direction of someone who would? ”

Dren mentally crossed his fingers hoping that mentioning hobgoblins would break the ice with the master smith.

[PId6]

Old Toll House:

"You look to have a few scratches on you, but I don't see anything too serious," Soranna critiques with an expert eye after Kyr's request for a healer. "You should get your group to the Shrine of Pelor just down the street later; they likely won't be able to spare divine spells, seeing as how they've been treating all the survivors of the last attack, but they don't charge for mundane healing. Brother Derny's a good man; he'll help you out. There's also the druid, Avarthel, who tends to gather at the Old Ones across the river. He might have spells to heal you with, at a moderate cost."

Soranna's face darkens when Kyr mentions the bodies, while Norro turns pale. "How horrible. By the description, that man sounds like Bilgrim Hanks, a farmer who lives near the town. He was probably coming over when he got waylaid by those foul creatures." He shudders and makes a quick prayer to Pelor. "I don't know who the gnomes were, but they were likely merchants coming along the Dawn Way. The hobgoblins have been harrying our lands for days now, attacking outlying homesteads and ambushing travelers coming our way. We don't know what's been causing this."

Captain Soranna adds, "We've had some trouble with them before. A quick raid on homesteads on the west side of the river, usually not that bad - but this is different. It looks like a large, aggressive tribe has moved down out of the Wyrmsmoke Mountains. Frankly, I fear that they might be numerous enough to sack the town. Your news makes this even more troubling; that they're ambushing travelers even on the other side of the river may indicate that they're trying to cut off our town from both sides."

The Speaker grimaces at the thought, then whispers another prayer to Pelor before continuing, "Beyond the immediate threat to our homes, the road is our lifeblood. If the hobgoblins make the Dawn Way impassable to the west, trade won't come this way, and we'll be ruined. Not only do we need to repel raiders from our town, but we've got to keep the road open." He gives a canny look over all of you. "Now, you haven't said it yet, but by the looks of you, you seem to be fairly competent adventurers. I may be wrong here, but you are all quite well armed, and by your descriptions of the raiders, it seems no mean feat for you to have defeated them. If I'm right, can you please help us? Our town and even our lives may be at stake here," he asks sincerely.

Selling Gear:

Morlin looks up at you, and raises his eyebrows upon seeing the gnome, giant, and kobold in the same group. "Strange company yer keepin', though who am I to judge. Alright, show me yer gear and let's see if they're worth somethin'." He puts down his hammer and walks over to look at the merchandise.

After taking the various weapons and armor out of their respective containers, the dwarf looks over them once and then spits onto the ground. "As I thought, shoddy hobgoblin poor excuse for craft, every last one o' them. It's completely typical o' their misaligned work. Only reason I'd want this pile o' junk is so I can melt 'em down and craft real weapons and armors out of 'em. I'll give ya 300 gold for the entire pile, and that's being generous."

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren


“But master dwarf, I’ve already been assaulted by robbers today. While I realize the quality of the weapons is not of your caliber, you should still have no trouble finding buyers. Obviously the weapons work as intended as you can see from the state of my large friend over there. The trade route between here and …well just about anywhere, is pretty much cut right now. There is going to be a big demand for these items.” Dren explains calmly just barely above a whisper. "We've done this town a great service by riding the country-side of those vermin hobgoblins, surely you could be a bit more generous?"

“I was thinking a bit more like 6300.. why just look at the fine detail on this magical short sword. I imagine before the week is out we’ll have another load of surplus weapons to unload, this could be a regular thing, to the benefit of all of us.”


Dren wringed his hands nervously, this was the most he'd ever said to anyone in decades. He hoped it would get him somewhere.

[PId6]

Selling Gear:

The dwarf looks at you dramatically, his eyes bulging from his skull. "6300 gold! Are ya daft? Where'd ya expect me ta find money like that? Ya trying to rob me outta forge and home, you are, ya no good outsiders." He shakes his head and sighs very loudly, then moves over and examines the magical shortsword. "This piece right here does look a mite more interesting than I first thought though, but none of my regular customers can afford magic weapons, those cheap bastards. Tell ya what, 'cause ya helped the town by ridding us o' 'em hobo's, I'll give ya a special discount: 600 gold, and I'll let ya keep the magical stuff. What'd ya say?"

[balistafreak]

Kyr

The wounded man represses a scoff when Soranna claims that he's got a few scratches. Greatswords! You can't call those scratches by any stretch of the term! With a sigh, though, he nods, resolving to take her advice to the Church anyways.

"So you knew the man? ... it's a pity about the merchants, but that's the way it'll have to be. Make a record." He makes a pained face. "They might have kin looking for them in the near future. Let's hope this is over with by the time they do."

"It sounds like the town is being systematically targeted. Alright, here's a question that's goign to leave a bad taste..." and he leans forward with a determined expression, "but how many armed and reasonably trained men can you rally? I hope it won't come to that - if there's that many of them we've already lost - but at least they can act as a deterrent if you start up a dedicated patrol."

"We have a small load of weapons looted from the hobgoblins we beat off... yeah, you guessed right," he admits with a sheepish grin. "We came here when we heard the news." Kyr chuckles. "Hobgoblin menace indeed. Anyways, as random as they might be, we could exchange those weapons for any supplies you might be willing to spare us."

Standing up and squaring himself against Soranna and Norro as authoritively as possible, he tucks his hands behind his back. "We came here to help, and that's what we'll do. Stories have to have a source somewhere, after all," he reassures with a cocky grin.

Reversal; the grin dropped. "But I'm not going to lie. It's not as if we're demigods - several of us almost died out there. We can't just ride across the landscape, take off all their heads, and be back before supper. We're going to need as much help as you can spare, and your full strength behind us besides. You've asked if we could help you: we've said yes. Now we're asking you," and he advances on them dramatically, "can you help us?

"You can't just expect to throw gold at this problem until it goes away. We're going to need your men out there combing the countryside too; a willing base of operations; people willing to make us what we need." He swallows. "If you've got anyone who can keep up with a group of adventurers who isn't vital to town infrastructure, they've now got a party with plenty of vacancies."

His speech done, he awaits the results.

OOC:
This conversation is rapidly ballooning. Quick, cut it back down! :smalltongue:

[PId6]

Old Toll House:

Captain Soranna shakes her head, "I think you have our intentions a bit wrong here. We're not asking you to fight off the entirety of the hobgoblin tribes alone; we just need you to look into the problem a bit, maybe find the source of the problem, investigate, and report back with any useful information you can find."

"Indeed," Norro adds hurriedly, "we're not looking to fight a war or something. We've already rallied the militia and gathered all the farmers west of here into town. We're prepared if they try to attack us, but so far, they haven't dared come near town yet, thank Pelor. We've sent some patrols into the Witchwood, but all of them were cut down fairly fast. Most of us are just farmers and craftsmen here, not warriors. Since you are seasoned adventurers, we're hoping that you might have more success looking into this and finding anything you can."

"There's an old place called Vraath Keep in the Witchwood," Soranna says. "It's suppose to be haunted, but those are just old tales. I've heard some reports of activity around that area, so it's possible that the hobgoblins have seized it for their stronghold. If you're truly willing to help, I'd suggest looking around there to start. In fact," she lets slip, "there are legends of great treasure within the vaults of the Keep, though few locals have dared to go near it. Perhaps that might interest you. Anything you find within those old halls are, of course, yours."

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Making an unsure face, Kyr still is a bit leery of the idea of charging into an unknown amount of hobgoblins alone. "I suppose the fact that this town is still here means that there can't be that many of them out there. Alright."

Turning to Norro, he apologizes. "You've lost patrols already? Pardon me for my presumptions. I assumed that your lack of military presence was merely out negligence, not out of superior enemy presence. 'Course," he scowls, "that just worries me more. But if we're careful, I think we can handle it."

Afterwards, Kyr bows to Soranna. "I understand. Vraath Keep?" He thinks, then shrugs. "Hand us a map, and we can probably be out of here tomorrow morning." He waves off her offers of treasure. "Who do you think we are, mate? If I was in this for the money, I could have sold what I'm wearing and retired comfortably already," he snarks. Beaming, he reassures her. "Trust that anything we find will be used in the effort against these raiders."

"I'm still not entirely comfortable with the idea of just us streaking across these unfamiliar lands, crashing about until we stir up their headquarters. We'd probably attract a lot more attention than we could handle." He gestures towards his wounds. "For example, we walked straight into that ambush earlier. Unpleasant."

"Do you have someone who knows this area and can take care of themselves in a fight? I'm not going to drag some old granfer out to die, but if you've got some highly trained guide who knows this place, it would be a massive boon."

Kyr will wrap up any conversations here, then leave with the party to find/rescue the shoppers, the Shrine of Pelor, and anything else of interest.

[PId6]

Old Toll House:

"We don't have any maps," Soranna says, "but a guide we can do. A woodsman named Jorr lives on the outskirts of the Witchwood; he knows the area better than anyone. His cabin is out of the way, but it could be worth the walk. If you take the Witch Trail, go left at the first big trail crossing; Jorr's cabin is about seven miles in. Or, if you're on the Dawn Way, take a right on a trail about nine miles from the forest edge. Jorr's cabin is near the Blackwater. I wish you safe journey."

"Thank you for helping us," Norro adds, "and good luck."

Finished with the interview, the three of you leave the building to find the others, hoping that they haven't met any ninjas they couldn't handle so far. A quick inquiry around town leads you to Morlin's Smithy, where upon entering, you see Dren, Flick, and Lenny gathered around a table with a dwarf, with all of the hobgoblins' gear lying on the table. You hear the dwarf say these words right as you come in: "I'll give ya a special discount: 600 gold, and I'll let ya keep the magical stuff. What'd ya say?"

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Had he been drinking anything, Kyr would have launched the contents of it all over the four walls of the room at the dwarf's comment.

"Excuse me, master smith, but I feel I need to bring something to light. We just came from speaking with Captain Soranna and your exalted town Speaker, Norro Wiston. We're here to get to the bottom of this hobgoblin menance - and we're not leaving until we've seen it through."

Letting that statement sink in, he closes the distance from the door to the table of goods. "It's not that we need money - money's no good when can't spend it. And when these raids are cutting off all travel and trade, it's worthless. What we do need are supplies." Turning to speak to Dren, Lenny, and Flick as well, he relates the news of Vraath Keep and how Captain Sorrana recommended it as the next step of their job.

"Now, even if we hadn't had this haul of loot, we'd still be asking you for anything you can offer us to help. Consider this a windfall and a gift more than payment." Staring the dwarf in the eye, he tries to empathize with him. "The gear you can spare might be the difference between your apprentices inheriting this shop," and he points to the two young dwarves in the back, "and this entire town being a burned-out ruin. I hate to make it sound like a dilemma... but this isn't just your average pack of robbers, and that's a very real possibility."

"Consider it, smith. These swords are worth far more than any coins might be right now. How long until you receive fresh ores, or until you can sell your wares? We're not trying to rip you off, but we're trying to barter, and most of all we're working for your best interests without even asking for gold. Please."

Mechanics:
TL;DR: Kyr attempts to empathize with the smith, reference their backing by the town leadership, point out the strangulation of trade, and create a false dilemma of "help us vs. watch your town burn" in order to convince the smith to open trade with them, sidestepping the issue of gold.

Diplomacy: [roll0]. Aid Another's please?

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren looks at Kyr funny.

"Uh what supplies do you think we can get from a smithy that we don't already have?" Dren asks Kyr with confusion in his voice.

"While the dwarf is obviously skilled, I doubt he has anything worthy of your greatness Kyr and likely nothing in my size." Dren continues slightly sarcastically.

Dren passes the finely crafted composite bow and arrows to Alder. "Here, take this, it'll reach farther than you can."
He tucks the vials of alchemist's fire into his pack.

Mildly annoyed by Kyr butting into the conversation, Dren takes a moment to look around the shop for anything his size.

[PId6]

Morlin mulls over what Kyr says for a moment, ruminating in a very dwarf-like way. "Yer takin' all the fun outta this, yer know," he says, then sighs. "Alright, I'll let yer trade fer whatever yer need if it'll help get those hobos out. Go find the house of Sertieren, who calls himself Wise. Tis the northernmost building this side of the river. He's one o' 'em wizards, and he owes me a favor. Tell him I sent ye, and that he should craft whatever ye need. Good day."

He beckons to one of the apprentices, who takes the bundles of weapons and armor that you're trading and puts them away. Morlin himself goes back to his work. You make your way to Sertieren's house to place the orders, then go to the Shrine of Pelor to get your wounds healed. There, you see a bunch of injured townsfolk being tended to by the clergy. An attendant came and helped bind and treat your wounds, and by the time you're down, it is nightfall.

You can trade any weapons/armor (only) that you have, including magical ones, for 60% of market price in credit, which can be used to make crafting orders to the town wizard. Tell me how much you're giving to him for credit and how much you're keeping for yourself. The wizard can craft wondrous items (CL 5) and scrolls/potions/wands of wizard spells of up to 3rd level. Crafting takes time, so you can place orders and then go off on adventure while they're being done.

After wizard, you go to the shrine for nonmagical healing. Tonight, when you sleep, you'll recover twice the normal amount of HP for resting (so 10 HP rather than 5 HP for a night's rest). You also need to find a place to sleep for the night. The Green Apple is the cheaper and lower quality of the two (5 sp per day), while the Old Bridge Inn is the more expensive one (2 gp per day each). Where do you go?

[PId6]

Having placed your orders, you spend the night at the Old Bridge Inn. It is a clean place, run by a clan of halflings called the Shadowbanks. The food is filling, and there was a minstrel playing for the evening crowd while visitors played three-dragon ante in the common room. It's not the best place you've ever stayed at, but it's of surprisingly good quality for such a small town, and you pass the night without incident.

The next morning, you all wake at around dawn and make your way downstairs. After a hearty breakfast, you discuss your plans for the next day.

I'll let you guys settle the magic item orders OOC and get on with events IC. Heal HP overnight equal to 2x level thanks to the Pelor clerics, and I'll assume you finish the charges in your Healing Belts too. Also deduct 2 gp for the inn fare.

Now what do you guys do?

[balistafreak]

OOC:
I put on my robe and wizard hat.

Kyr

Polishing off the last of a sausage, Kyr raises the subject of the guide. "His name's Jorr - apparently, he's a knowledgeable sort. We don't know the area - I think it's better that we find someone who does. Let's see if we can't have him guide us."

If there are no objections, Kyr wades into the crowd and bartender, looking for any information on the man, using his sense of drama to pump people for information.

Questions:
"Who exactly is this Jorr? Captain Soranna recommends we hire him as a guide."
"Is he capable of holding his own in a combat? How does he fight?"
"How dangerous is the path to his home? Other than the hobgoblins, should we expect trouble?

And a bit off topic, but still relevant:
"Do you know of a place called Vraath Keep? How far away is it?"


If there are no further requests, Kyr attempts to mobilize the party and get moving.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren greedily finishes off his breakfast. "I've been on the road too much ..... miss real food" he mumbles between bites.

Dren got an odd look from the serving girl when he ordered an ale with his eggs, but ignored it.

He watched Kyr with amusement as he flamboyantly set off to gather information. "A truly subtle man... " he mumbles to the table with a smile on his face. The sarcasm didn't hide his mild jealousy at Kyr's social confidence.

[PId6]

You gather some information:

"Jorr? Isn't he the weird guy who lives in the woods?"

"Oh, that Jorr? I heard all he does all day is kill hobgoblins."

"He comes to town occasionally, selling hobgoblin gear and animal pelts."

"I heard that his wife and daughter were killed by hobgoblins, so he vowed to kill every last one of them."

"Guy creeps me out if you ask me."

"I saw him shoot arrows at a festival once. Hit the mark, every last one of them."

"The Captain says he's the best marksman she's met, and she doesn't give out praise like that."

"Some people say that he's killed over a hundred goblinoids, but I think that's probably an exaggeration.

"Still think he creeps me out."

"You really shouldn't go into the Witchwood if you value your life. I heard of weird things going on in there."

"Oh yeah, besides the goblins, there are wild animals and monsters!"

"Those are just tales. There's no such thing as monsters around here."

"No, really! I saw one before! That Jorr showed me the head of one of them once. It looked like an owl, but the head was huge!"

"Our last patrol into the Witchwood never came back. I don't know if it's monsters or just goblins, but I don't intend to find out."

"I don't know how that Jorr lives in a place as dangerous as that."

"It's cuz he's creepy."

"Vraath Keep? Isn't that place haunted?"

"I think it's pretty deep in the Witchwood, at least past the old Causeway."

"I think it used to belong to Rhestilor back when the empire was still around."

"It's about halfway between here and Skull Gorge Bridge."

"My brother said that it was destroyed by trolls."

"You mean giants. It's destroyed by giants, not trolls."

"No, it's definitely trolls. I'm sure of it. My brother wouldn't lie."

"I heard that there's treasure in the old basement, but the ghosts of the Rhestilorans guard the place."

"It's giants, I tell you!"

"Be careful you don't get lost in the Witchwood. It's hard to find your way in there unless you're an experienced woodsman or you follow the marked paths."

"Are you calling my brother a liar?"

"He is if he said trolls destroyed Vraath Keep."

Yeah, you should probably find a guide like that Jorr if you want to find your way in there.

"But he's so creepy."

"You're the liar! It's trolls!"
A tavern brawl soon erupts between those who favor the trolls and those who favor the giants.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

"wow..." Dren mumbles under his breath. He grabs his ale mug and quietly leaves the inn to sit on the stoop and drink in peace.

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

As much as he'd like to defend his half-monsteous heritage as noble, he doesn't desire any unwanted attention. Lenny picks up his breakfast and goes back to his room to wait til its time to go.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Kyr attempts to react the flurry of information being volleyed back and forth.

"I -"

"If you would just -"

"Do you mind repeating -"

"Now, now there's no need to -" Bugger.

Hearing the rising ire of the crowd, Kyr barely slips through the flaring tempers and back to the party before the crowd explodes into a flurry of fists and swinging arms. It's a highly amusing sight.

"Rather feisty folks, aren't they?" he remarks, smoothing his hair and adjusting his glasses. With a shake of his head, he checks over himself, quickly confirming the absence of a knife in his gut. "Let's get moving... before the bartender decides to charge us for repairs."

OOC:
Ready to leave.

Also, Kyr has retrieved his Haversack from Dren by now... right? :smalltongue:

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

OOC:

"Haversack? what is this haversack you speak of?" j/k

You would have gotten it back at the shop the day previous.

Dren is also ready to leave.

[Ernir]

Flick

Flick releases a cat-like yawn (his jaw opening impossibly wide), which is cut short when the brawl starts to rage.
He raises a tiny index finger, and starts talking in the general direction of the combatants. "Actually, trolls are a subspecies of giants. They share many genealogical traits, including a sturdy physique and a notable ability to see under conditions of poor illumination..."

"Hey, wait for Flick!" he says as he notices the rest of the party preparing to leave.

[Jair Barik]

Alder stares at the brawl confounded.

"Does this.... does tis happen often? Perhaps we should intercede? Then again our mission can't be compromised by distractions such as this.."

[balistafreak]

Kyr

"Alder, mate, it's a bar brawl. Doncha know? Every self-respecting adventurer knows what one is," he snarks. "It's a way for them to vent the spare anxiety from the hobgoblin menace, and a way for them to prove who's stronger. And at the very least, it's good practice. Don't worry about it, I'm no one will die. And if we stay here, we're going to get involved, and we have places to be." Kyr elbows Alder in the side one last time before slipping out, his back pointedly turned.

[PId6]

You begin moving on by foot, taking the ferry to the other side of town and then heading out of the western exit along the Dawn Way. The dwarven-made road is dry and dusty this time of the year, and that, combined with the hot sun rising to its zenith at the onset of your journey, is a source of discomfort. Soon, you begin cursing the hot, dry weather and the dust that the others kick up in front of you.

It doesn't take long before the road is engrossed by the Witchwood on both sides, marking your entrance into the forest proper. Tall oaks and evergreens line the sides of the road, and the sounds of animal life, particularly those of birds and insects, fill the summer air. The road cuts through various bogs and streams along its way, but always, you find stout dwarven bridges that have stood for centuries completing the path. Every few miles, you see some long-abandoned homesteads or crude woodcutter's cabins standing alongside the road, but none are ever occupied.

After over four hours of journeying, you see the first major trail crisscrossing the Dawn Way, undoubtedly the trail that Soranna mentioned leading to Jorr's cabin. Heading into this path, you find that this trail is far less sturdy or well-made than the main road, being composed simply of dirt and barely-cleared undergrowth. Luckily, this is not the wet season, or else the trail would be caked in mud, but the streams and bogs are much more difficult to cross here, most of them having no bridge but rather just a log balancing tenuously over the waters. The journey sees you plenty of flies and mosquitoes hungry for your blood, but none of the famed denizens of the Witchwood are to be found at all.

It takes over two more hours of travel along the trail to reach Jorr's cabin, and by that time, you are nearly spent for the day. The cabin sits at one side of the trail in a small glade with the path continuing past. A ramshackle front porch is littered with fishing baskets and skinning frames. The cabin overlooks a dark bayou or lake, with old gray cedar-trees draped in moss rising out of the water. An old skiff is tied along the shore nearby. No smoke rises from the chimney, and the house is quiet.

@Kyr, Whiksel, Dren
You spot what appears to be a large dog or wolf lying underneath the porch. It doesn't appear to have noticed you yet. The door of the cabin is slightly ajar.
@Graff
Having planned this visit for a while now, you were surprised not to see Jorr's hounds greeting you when you arrived. He knew you were coming, though not the exact date or time, so you expected that he was likely out hunting with his dogs or some such and will be back soon. Deciding to wait inside the cabin, you told Gar to sit under the porch and went into the cabin yourself. However, before you can settle in, you find this note scrawled in Jorr's typical handwriting:

"Graff, went hunting hobgoblins, Vraath Keep, follow. -Jorr"

You've heard of Vraath Keep before and have even seen it back when you were last here, though having heard that it was haunted, you never went close before. But if Jorr has gone there, then something very serious must be going on at the place...

[balistafreak]

Kyr

"Dog underneath the porch," Kyr points out in a low voice. "Keep your distance, just in case this ends badly. They can be... annoyingly friendly at times. Mind if I lead? I've got the brick wall," he jokes, shifting the mithral door on his arm.

If there are no objections, Kyr stands a good distance away and calls out in a loud, carrying voice, "Hail the house!! Is anyone home?!"

OOC:
Kyr was at 22HP yesterday. He would heal 8 HP to 30HP from the medical treatment, and had one Healing Belt charge left that I never spent. Here's the roll:

Yesterday's Last Healing Belt Charge: [roll0] healed.

That puts me up to 36/44. Did anyone else have Healing Belt charges that they didn't need? Hitting party members who are still wounded might be nice.

[PId6]

Hearing your voice, the animal beneath the porch stirs, immediately running out from underneath and coming towards you, stopping twenty feet away. As it comes out, you realize that it's no dog, but rather a full-blooded wolf, about the size of a human. The wolf barks and growls at you, but keeps its distance, its yellow eyes staring at you unblinking.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

"... not an animal person..." Kyr mutters underneath his breath to the rest of the party. This guy's really something if he's got wolves at his beck and call. I'm impressed.

"... ummm, hello there! We're looking for your, uh, friend. His name's Jorr! Do you know where he is, mate? Jorr! We're looking for him! Can you take us to him?" Still calling out loudly enough to still (hopefully) get sound down to the cabin down there, Kyr gesticulates wildly in an attempt to get his point across, but makes no movements away from his spot just in case that would anger the not-a-dog-but-actually-a-wolf. Not an animal person, indeed.

OOC:
... I take it Diplomacy doesn't work here? :smalltongue:

[Chambers]

Graff

A man steps out from the cabin door, his movements slow and careful. A slight man wearing city clothes looks at you all for a moment and eases down onto a rocking chair on the porch. "Hey." He says, nodding to Kyr. "Wolves can't talk. Don't you know that?" He half-smiles.

You notice the dagger handle just sticking out above the top of one of his black boots and a sheathed sword fixed to his waist that he moved aside as he sat down. "Hey, wolf." He says. "Hai!" He barks, more a grunt than a word. The wolf's ears perks up and it trots over to the man and climbs the porch, laying down next to the rocking chair.

"What do you want to see Jorr for?" One of his hands drops to scratch the wolf, while the other hangs down, a fingers breadth away from a strung shortbow leaning against the wall.

[Jair Barik]

Alder smiles at the man, from the looks of things he is a ranger of sorts, possibly a druid.

"I always thought that wolves could talk, it was simply that most men don't know how to listen to them."

Slipping into the dwarven tongue Alder continues, <That said though the same can be said for any living thing.>

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Kyr looks over the man as he calls off the wolf - yet remains completely combat ready regardless. Relieved off the possibility of rapid dismemberment, he lets out an affected sigh, sweeping his glasses a little higher onto his nose. "I know wolves can't talk, but it couldn't hurt to see if he understood, eh?"

He gives a short bow from the waist, more to keep his eyes on the new arrival than out of disrespect - the man's hand's proximity to the bow on the wall didn't exactly fill him with feelings of security, despite the lack of obvious arrows in sight. "We were recommended to Jorr by the Captain Soranna and the town Speaker Norro Wiston. We're on our way to Vraath keep, also by their recommendation. They - and us - are trying to scout out these raids, and apparently ol' abandoned Vraath Keep would be a likely location for their base."

He attempts to tuck his arms behind him disarmingly, but the action fails as his shield gets in the way. Exasperated, he settles for straightening his back and taking a confident, friendly step forward towards the man's seat, giving the man and wolf an appraising look. "Are you Jorr? According to the stories they told about him - actually, the stories they brawled over," he chuckles as an aside, "he's quite the ranger. From your appearance and friend there," he points out, "you match at least some of the criteria."

[Chambers]

Graff

He nods at the dwarf. "Aye. Some are keener than people I've met." He yawns and stretches, resting his hands behind his head.

"Wiston's still alive and kickin? That bald bastard." He chuckles. "No, I'm not Jorr. I'm much better looking than that old dirt scrounger. Name's Graff. This is Gar." He says smiling, dropping a hand and scratching the wolf behind the ears. "Jorr's out hunting near the Keep right now..." He nods his head that way and continues "...and I was about to join him. I suppose I could show you all the way, seeing as how you need a guide."

DM
How far away is the Keep? How long would it take me to get there alone, and how long would it take the party?

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

"A guide would be nice.." Drem mumbles to himself. Dren takes a solid look around to make sure a trap isn't being sprung on the group.

He climbs the stairs and pokes his head into the house, looking for signs of a struggle or ambushers.

"Can never be too careful these days" he says.

"Our rough plan was to camp here tonight and carry on in the morning seeings how it is getting late"

[balistafreak]

Kyr

The spectacled man nods at Dren's words. "Our more... vertically challenged..." he carefully says, "... party members won't be able to make it to the Keep before nightfall. I know that you want to join Jorr, but it's pointless if we do so in the dark and tired from a day's march. Some of us," and he taps his own head, simultaneously marking the party members with darkvision, "can see a short distance in the dark, but the rest of us will be flailing around blind. Not conducive to a hobgoblin hunt. Hell, we'd probably even fail to find Jorr if he's half the hunter the town says he is - not disparaging your own skills, of course," he hurriedly corrects.

"If you don't mind us resting with you tonight, instead of somewhere less secure, we'd like that. Although I must ask - if Vraath Keep would make a good base," Kyr muses, "a cabin like this seems like it'd attract some attention. You haven't had hobgoblins find this place yet?"

OOC:
Healz plz, I'm at 36/44. If you had a Healing Belt charge from yesterday, here's one wounded man. Yes, I realize this is a time paradox, no, I don't mind the OOC/IC split. :smalltongue:

Also, what do we plan on doing the rest of the day now that we're here? Talk shop and recon with Graff/Jorr if he comes back today?

[Ernir]

Flick

The kobold, who had so far been content watching the encounter absent-mindedly, interrupts Kyr halfway through the speech, and pokes him. "Hey, you have something..."

Healing belt charge: [roll0]

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

"You're vertically challenged, in the pants"

Dren tilts his head funny at Kyr and smiles.

"Oy, I've not been slowing us down. Don't malign my character!" Dren says playfully.



Dren subtely points towards Alder as if to scold him for slowing the group down.




OOC:



Kyr

Also, what do we plan on doing the rest of the day now that we're here? Talk shop and recon with Graff/Jorr if he comes back today?

*shrug*
Set up camp in the cabin. Eat supper. Drink some ale. Set up double watches and bolt the door. Keep the lights dim/extinguished and watch through the windows like a hawk.

[Chambers]

Graff

"Too right, master gnome. Constant vigilance. That's my motto as well." He yawns again. The wolf perks his head up as Dren climbs the stairs but makes no other move.

"I don't see us reaching the Keep before dark either, so a good night's rest seems in order." He holds his hands out, palms up. "But it's not my house, so I can't rightly invite you to stay the night." He shrugs. "Besides, can't be too careful these days, right?" He says, smiling.

"Jorr's got some old bedrolls back in there somewhere, I'm sure I could find them for you. And the firepits outback. Was just about to make some dinner myself, if you'd like to join me."

He looks back at Kyr. "Oh, if any hobbo's had found this place...you'd be seeing their heads hanging on this porch."

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Pointedly ignoring Dren's infantile comment, the jacketed man looks around, and sees a distinct lack of hobgoblin heads. "Well, that's fortunate."

Falling into step with Graff, he comments, "Too true, you can't be too careful these days. Maybe we're all hobgoblin infiltrators with those disguising hat things - I kid, I kid," he placates, patting the air around him and looking at Gar.

"Name's Kyr, mate. You didn't offer a family name, so neither will I," he volleys, offering a handshake. The touch tingles a bit, but not unpleasantly.

"As for you," he says as he gets onto his knees in front of Gar, "Hello there. You're probably a wiser beast than I am, because you probably remember when..." With a cough, he gives the wolf one dignified pat on the head and scrambles to his feet. "Never mind that. What were you saying about dinner? I may not mind the taste of everlasting rations, but I'm sure some of my mates do."

Mechanics:
Graff and Gar are now covered by endure exposure.

[Jair Barik]

Alder the Dragonborn looks over at the wolf and smiles at the mans hospitality. "I will join you at your fire but I wont be eating with you, my rations are purely here for an emergency."

Graff is quite sure there has never been a dwarf in the local vicinity nor bar the sudden appearance of ninjas is there likely to be dwarves here any time soon, a stout looking Dragonborn on the other hand is close at hand.:smallamused:

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

"I think it would be much more defensable to camp in the cabin" Dren says to the whole group. "Wooden walls are better than air at stopping hobo arrows".

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Lenny walks over to the firepit. Loosening his belt, his tentacles snake over to the wood pile, picking up logs and pulling them back to his hands which stack them in an orderly fasion.

Kyr...close your mouth and make yourself useful...

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Kyr snaps to at Lenny's words. "Sir, yes sir," he drawls sardonically, although his enthusiastic work makes a strange irony.

OOC:
Ready for the time warp. Let's roll to the next encounter!

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren conducts a thorough search of the cabin. Once finished, he sets up one of the bedrolls in the cabin itself -regardless of who objects. He eats from his everlasting rations and washes it down with weak ale from his everfull mug.

"Wake me before you guys set off" Dren calls out before closing the cabin door. He looks for a lock or a chair to wedge under the door handle to secure the door for the night.

"Fools are going to get themselves killed in the night camping out in the open when there ain't no cause to." Dren mumbles to himself.

OOC:

Dren searches the cabin, mostly looking for anything suspicious

Search : 20+9

[Chambers]

Graff

Settling down on a log by the firepit, Graff belches and pats his stomach. "Excuse me. Rabbit was a little greasy. I always prefer - Hey!" Graff stands up as the gnome rummages through the cabin. "What in the nine hells do you think you're doing? Get your stinking little greased up gnome hands out of that desk!" He turns and stares at the rest of the party.

"Is this how you repay me for dinner and offering to guide you to the Keep? Just let your grubby little runt rifle through a house that is in your hosts care?" He shouts out "Kai!" and the wolf tenses up and creeps over to Graff, growling deeply.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Kyr sighs. "I suppose I must stand corrected. I might not mind the taste of trail rations, but to give this up for those - "

All of sudden realizing that he's talking to air, he hurries after Graff, stumbling a bit from the full stomach.

"Dren! Seriously, mate, are you trying to pull?" he calls loudly through the door. He sounds more exasperated than angry, but perhaps he's merely restraining himself. Sweeping past Graff, he tries the door. Barred shut. Oh please.

"Excuse me," he says to Graff, then slowly but deliberately (slow enough for him to see it coming but way too slow for some sort of attack) grabs him by the arm and gently but firmly pulls him close, speaking in a low voice, too quietly to hear on the other side of the door.

@Not Dren:
"Look, mate, I'm sorry, we haven't seen this side of him before - he's not exactly 'ours', per se. He joined us in a counter-ambush when we got jumped by a dozen hobgoblins yesterday - held his own in combat, and was interested in helping out. I'm sure that he'll be a valuable ally if we ever run into hobgoblins again - ne, you hate them too, right?" he tries to bridge with a smile. "He's a bit shifty but... hasn't been a problem until now. It's probably my fault - I should have kept a better eye out on him." He offers an empathetic shrug.

"Hey, I let him hold my share of the loot and none of it disappeared. He's not a greedy sort, just a bit... odd," he reiterates. "Keep a cool head, and we can all be slaying hobos together tomorrow, eh?"


Even so, Kyr pulls away from Graff to put away his glasses somewhere in the recesses of his jacket, get down on his hands and knees, and grind his forehead into the ground. "I apologize for our guest's own rudeness." he says formally and much more loudly, almost as a call. Surely Dren would hear this. "I am at your service for repairing this slight." Perhaps more surprisingly, he seems completely sincere, and almost a bit reverent of the idea of hospitality.

OOC:
It must be the Greek in me that decided that hospitality is sacred. :smalltongue:

[Jair Barik]

A;der is quite shocked by the gnomes behaviour. Visibly so in fact.

"Dren! I agree that sleeping in the cabin would probably be safest but you can't go rummaging around inside there without your hosts permission!"

[PId6]

Despite the scuffle, all parties eventually cool down. Dren manages to search the cabin, finding little of importance or value, then passes the night in what's presumably Jorr's bedroom, sleeping uneasily as if expecting someone to knife him in his sleep. The rest of the party makes camp nearby upon the trail, with the new arrival setting up a short distance away. Though you set a watch for the night, nothing comes to disturb your sleep during that time, besides the persistent insects. Come dawn, the sounds of wildlife greets your awakening, and one by one, you get up, ready for a new day's march.

With all the Healing Belt charges remaining, just assume everybody heals to full HP if they're not at that already.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Kyr is one of the first up, swiftly munching down a meal of rations without even blinking. Breaking his camp before all are even awake, he bustles around the camp, readying to go. Passing by a clearly offput Graff, he offers a look towards the cabin door and an empathetic shrug.

"Come on, mates!" he calls. "We need to get moving soon, else we won't be making Vraath Keep in time!"

OOC:
Ready to go.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren yawns lazily as he wakes up. He eats his morning rations in silence, washing them down with ale.


He pulls on his new leather boots which still feel a little strange to him. Before leaving the cabin, Dren makes an effort to straighten up a little so as not to leave a mess.


Walking out of the cabin, he nods to the rest of the group signaling his readyness.


"Morning" he calls out.

[Chambers]

Graff

Staring at Dren with a stupified look on his face, Graff shakes his head. "Allright Kyr - but you're responsible for him."

In the morning he gathers his gear and meets up with the party. As he strings his bow this clothes shift, changing from his dandy city boy clothes to multi-colored pants and shirt. Swirls of brown, dark green and black that blend in with the forest instead of standing out.

"Everybody ready to go?" He asks, his voice lower and quiet.

[Jair Barik]

"Aye. I be ready to follow wherever you lead us."

Alder is early to rise so that he can take care of his weapons maintenance.

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Wiping sleep from his eyes, Lenny wakes up and stumbles toward a tree on the outskirts of the clearing. Returning to the clearing, he stretches out his arms, legs, neck, and tentacles, making sure everything is limber and supple for the day's journey.

I am ready.

[Ernir]

Flick

"I require an hour to make my battlefield preperations, then I am good to go."

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

Whiksel completes his morning kata in minutes, long before Flick is done studying. There are variations in it today: fire and shadow dancing around his twisting blade.

Once complete, he too indicates readiness.


New readied maneuvers: Burning Blade, Drain Vitality, Shadow Jaunt and Rabid Wolf Strike

[PId6]

After making your individual preparations, you clear camp and set out once more. With Graff in the lead, the group travels swiftly, retracing their steps upon the trail the previous day. The wildlife is as spirited as ever this hot summer day, and calls of animals, the songs of birds, and the ever-present buzzing of insects follow your every step. However, once again you spot no goblin or foul creature of myth within the vibrant environs, leaving you to wonder whether the famed denizens of the Witchwood are actively avoiding you or whether you've simply been lucky so far.

Once again, it takes about two hours of travel to reach the end of the trail, and once there, you set off along the Dawn Way again towards the mysterious Vraath Keep. The same sights are seen along the dwarven-paved road as yesterday, and once more, no other souls are found here. Eventually, the trees give way to more marsh-like ground, and the areas around the road sink into boggy pits of murky water. The altitude starts descending slowly in the hour of walking after leaving the trail, culminating in your arrival at a valley containing what can only be Swift Creek, a tributary of Elsir River that flows through the Witchwood.

A wide expanse of dark water floods the woodland of this low valley. Trees still protrude from the calm, dark waters here and there, but many large reaches seem to be little more than open pools of algae-choked water. The trill of frogs and the whine of insects fill the air. The forest road leads right down to the edge of the flooded section, up to a rickety-looking causeway made of thick planks of wood lashed together with mossy rope. The wooden causeway runs for several hundred feet above the boggy patch, only a foot or so above the water.

The causeway shows nowhere near the craftsmanship of the older dwarven road, and is likely a later addition to the Dawn Way. Up ahead, you can note the wreckage of a wagon to the left of the causeway, lying on its side and half-sunk in the flooded forest, about thirty feet from the causeway. On the other side, a clump of green rocks stands over the water.

@Kyr, Whiksel, Graff
You spot what appears to be a lizard sunning itself on one of the rocks to the right. It's quite big, bigger than a halfling, and seems to be vaguely camouflaged against the backdrop of the rock. All of you are standing about 100 ft away from it, and it doesn't seem to have noticed you yet.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Stopping in his tracks, Kyr suddenly turns to the right and lifts a fist into the air. "Hold," he says in a low voice. "Back up." The fist turning into a shooing hand, he slowly takes a few steps back up the road, attempting to reverse the group at least a few dozen feet, and more if he can push the group farther. As he does so, he keeps his eyes forward, watching both a certain spot up the road and Graff's reaction.

As they shuffle back, he asks in that same low voice, "Graff, you seein' what I'm seein'?" Branching his first two fingers into a Y and then flicking them towards a rock in a wave, he outlines a large rock to their front and right. "Big lizard, pretty well camouflaged, up there. Dangerous, or merely lawn decoration?"

If the group backs up:
If they get far back enough to (hopefully) not risk being overheard, Kyr pipes in a louder voice to the whole group, "There was a huuuuuge lizard or something on a rock up there - 'bout as big as you, Dren. Graff, you know this place. Something we can waltz past, or should we bite the bullet and take it out before it thinks we're food?"

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren stops moving and slowly backs down the path, keeping an eye out for any trouble. He wasn't sure what Kyr was motioning towards but he was certain he didn't want to find out the hard way.

Dren waits patiently for an explaination. He slowly draws his weapons trying to be as quiet as possible. He waits to see what the group consenus was.


Dren takes a look around the side of the road on either side, watching for any signs of ambush.

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

Whiksel backs up when Kyr says.

"Graff, any idea who or what that is?"

Even as he asks, he searches his own memory for clues.


Knowledge(nature): [roll0]
Knowledge(local): [roll1]

[Chambers]

Graff

Freezing in place when he spots the oversized lizard, Graff speaks a word softly to Gar. "Hai." The wolf crouches low to the ground, head scanning the sidebrush. "It's a big lizard, guys." He looks at the group and shrugs his shoulders. "Stay here. I'll try and talk to it."

Walking up the road he approaches the lizard, intentionally making noise from far enough away so that it isn't surprised by him. When he's close enough he starts making low noises and moving his hand in a seemingly random oscillating pattern. Go away, big lizard. No food here.


Wild Empathy [roll0]

If he has to get into the water, oh well. Fun swampy times. :smallsmile:

[PId6]

The lizard starts hissing when it hears Graff walking closer into the filthy swamp water. However, Graff's motions seem to calm it somewhat, and within moments, it jumps into the water with a splash on the far side of the rock, then swims away downstream to find some other warm place to rest.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

"Hmm, we should check out that wagon while we are here" Dren suggests quietly to the group.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Kyr watches Graff shoo away the lizard without a fight. By the time Graff gets back, he gives him an appreciative bow. "That could have gone a lot worse. You are handy," he says with a wink. He takes one step ahead of Graff on the road, then looks back. With a flick of his head and a grin, he offers point to the guide once more. "It's nice to know you have good eyes watching out alongside your own."

Before they can take any more than a few steps towards the causeway, though, Kyr stops again with the same fist-in-air motion. "Good point, Dren." There's no cautious skittering back this time, though, and he points to the sunken wagon not far from their position. "How long has that been there? If there are hobgoblins in this area, this might be their doing." Cautiously, he gives the party meaningful looks - stay cautious - before he nods. "Graff, you got the previous one - mind if I have a turn? Can't let our guide do all the dirty work, now," he jokes.

"Stay on guard - just because we got out of one pickle doesn't mean we weren't in another all along."

OOC:
I have the distinct feeling I am waltzing into a trap. That, or I'm channeling the spirit of Ackbar.

As such, if Graff has some sort of terrain-ignoring ability (the wagon appears to be half freakin' underwater, maybe he should be the one to go investigate. If not, or if it doesn't make a difference, Kyr will just strike out himself. He's got a better AC and more HP, at any rate. :smallbiggrin:

[Jair Barik]

Alder is surprised by the appearance of the Lizard but upon seeing it leave calms down. For the time being he draws out his Halberd and nods at Kyr's suggestion to check out the wagon, shifting into a combat stance in case the Lizard should return or in case this is another hobgoblin ambush.


Stance-Leading the Charge

[Ernir]

Flick

Flick idly wonders whether he has ever seen that kind of lizard before, and what role it has in the local ecosystem, and whether they have any relations to kobolds.

Knowledge Nature: [roll0]

It would be especially good to know if this lizard is the favoured prey of something like giant eagles or huge-ass scorpions. :smalleek:

Stats
HP: 21/21
AC/Touch/FF: 16/15/12
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Location: ?
Active Effects:

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Color Spray
Blood Wind
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Pyrotechnics
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[Chambers]

Graff

Graff sits on the ground for a moment, dumping the water out of his boots. "Eh? You want to go poking around in there, be my guest. Or send the gnome. He likes looking in other peoples things." He snorts and finishes putting his boots on.

He walks over to an old tree stump in the shade. "I'll just take a seat right here, keep you covered." Gar walks over and lays at his feet as he pulls out his shortbow and fiddles around with an arrow.

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

A bit annoyed, Whiksel turns to Graff: "Have you or have you not been here before? Was the wagon here then?"

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Nodding at Graff in acknowledgment, Kyr bravely strikes forth towards the wagon through the water and marsh, half hidden behind his shield. The water in his boots doesn't seem to bother him, oddly enough; then again, this is also the same person who doesn't mind the taste of trail rations.

Mechanics:
Kyr will raise his shield up towards the wagon, giving him total cover from it, and use full-round actions to advance. A bit slow, but safe, at the very least.

If active perception checks need to be made, Kyr does so.
Perception: [roll0].

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren


Dren watches as Kyr slowly makes his way into the marsh.

Dren mumbles to the rest of the party whimsically "He was a brave man but utimately a little foolish. He never even saw the swamp monster till it was too late. I only wished we could recover his body... so I could rifle through his things." Dren adds the last part for Graff's benefit. It was obvious from his tone that Dren was joking of course.

[PId6]

Kyr cautiously makes his way through the muck towards the wagon, keeping his eye open for dangers abound. Unfortunately, he forgets to look down below into the water, because as soon as he gets within a short distance of the wagon, a red serpentine head rises out of the murky depths, shortly followed by four other heads that all look alike, and all stare intently at the human that dared intrude upon their domain.

Sweeping downward, all five jaws bite down on the still oblivious Kyr, only to be deflected by his shield. Outraged, the monster rises out of the waters, revealing a huge red serpentine beast. Moving around out of water, the monster bites down again, most of the attacks getting deflected by Kyr's armor but a single one managing to chomp down and taste blood. The creature roars loudly.

Only one attack hits, for 2 damage after DR. How pathetic.
Map:
http://i30.tinypic.com/sne4xg.png

Green is dry land. Gray is road. Brown is the causeway, while the dark gray represent rocks. Light teal is shallow bog, which is difficult terrain (move at 1/2 speed) and increases tumble DC by 2. Dark teal is deep bog, which is very difficult terrain (move at 1/4 speed) and tumbling is impossible. Blue is water that's too deep to walk in. W are the wagons.
@Kyr
You see something glinting in the wreckage of the wagon right before the creature attacks you.
@Flick
They're just lizards. Random monsters might eat them, but they don't enjoy it because their hide tastes terrible. Since they're ordinary-ish lizards with no dragon ancestry, they have no relation at all to kobolds.

[Ernir]

Flick

"Good news! The lizards are actually rather harmless members of the Lacertilia suborder, rarely attacking, and what is more, they are not usual prey for more vicious predators which might put us next on the menu. In fact, Flick thinks this causeway is as safe as a..."

"Hydra? :smalleek:"

Standard action to cast Haste (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/haste.htm), affecting the five closest party members, but not Flick.

Knowledge Arcana to see whether I know anything useful about what I assume is a hydra. :smalltongue:
[roll0]
Stats
HP: 21/21
AC/Touch/FF: 16/15/12
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Location: J32
Active Effects:

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Color Spray
Blood Wind
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Pyrotechnics
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[Chambers]

Graff

His eyes widen as the heads snap out of the water. "That...that is no simple lizard." His hand reaches for two more arrows as the first one has already been fitted, sighted, and fired before he finished speaking. Each shot seems to go farther than a normal shortbow should allow.


Full Attack Action (Rapid Shot, Hasted). The Shortbow has a range increment of 105ft due to the Hawk's Eye stance. Also, the +1 to attack from the stance and +1 from Haste negate the -2 from Rapid Shot.

Atk [roll0] Dmg [roll1] If Crit [roll2] Crit Dmg [roll3]
Atk [roll4] Dmg [roll5] If Crit [roll6] Crit Dmg [roll7]
Atk [roll8] Dmg [roll9] If Crit [roll10] Crit Dmg [roll11]

And a Knowledge Nature check. [roll12]


Stats:
Location: L29
HP: 38/38; AC: 18, 13 Touch, 15 Flat-Footed
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +7, Will +3
Readied Maneuvers: Hobbling Strike, Blindside Strike
Active Stance: Hawk's Eye
Active Effects: Haste

[PId6]

The first and third of the arrows land in the marsh without hitting the creature. The second one hits the creature, but thuds off without harming it. It doesn't appear to notice the attacks at all, giving its full attention to the nearest morsel of food instead (Kyr).

@Flick
It's a Pyrohydra, which tends to live in warm marshes. Like a regular hydra, it's very hard to kill unless you cut off all the heads. However, unlike a regular one, these are immune to fire and heat, meaning you need cold in order to seal the heads to prevent them from regrowing. Once in a while, the heads can breathe a large gout of fire that burns tremendously well.

From the way the arrow thudded off of the beast, this one seems tougher than most.
@Graff
You're not really sure what it is. Whatever it is though, it's certainly not natural.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Suddenly harried on all sides by hydra heads, teeth everywhere are stopped short by mithral, either blocked by the shield or stopped on the coat. One head nips off the corner of Kyr's ear, though.

Injured, Kyr claps a hand to the side of his head in disbelief. "You monster!" Quite an adaquete description. "I need that for the ladies!"

Thus enraged, Kyr snarls and roars straight back at the hydra. Unlike the hydra, though, the roar serves more purpose than intimidation; a lash of viscous fluids ignites as it hits the creature. (Entangling Fire Breath.)

By the time one has blinked away the brightness of the flame, though, Kyr is already backpedaling furiously, shield raised high in defense. (Unprop Shield, Move Provoking AoO.)

Round Summary:
Entangling Fire Breath: Kyr breathes a 30-foot line of fire on squares E16-17, F14-16, and G13-14, hitting the hydra for half of 3d6 damage, DC 17 Reflex halves, and entangling it for 1d4 rounds. It will be unable to run or charge, take ongoing fire damage, move at half speed, take a -4 Dexterity penalty, and a -2 untyped penalty to attack rolls.

Fire Breath Damage: [roll0] fire damage. Half of this number is 5, DC 17 Reflex halves again.
Rounds Entangled: 3 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8897733&postcount=467) rounds.

Unprop Shield: Kyr loses his total cover and regains his shield AC.
Move Provoking AoO: Kyr uses 6 tiles of movement to get to E18 to G20, provoking a boatload of AoOs from the hydra.


Character Summary:
Stats:
HP: 42/44; AC: 23, 12 Touch, 21 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 2
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day.
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Healing Belt Charges: 3
Position: E18 G20.

[PId6]

Kyr's breath of fire washes over the beast, but bounces off of its hide, not affecting it in the least. In retaliation, the beast chomps down on him, tearing a chunk of skin off with a lucky bite.

One attack hits, for 10 damage after DR.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

"HUH! A swamp monster?! Oh Garl, the tricks you play on me" Dren says aloud.

"Shouldn't you shoo it away with a wave of your arms?" He asks Graff


"Don't worry Kyr, I'll save you!" Dren shouts out dramatically as he charges towards the swamp beast.




OOC:


Dren moves from K32 to J17 (15 normal squares, 1 of them diagonal), moves to I16 (provoking AoO if it has combat reflexes)
That should be 90 ft of movement, 30 of which is from haste.





Status

Location: I16

HP: 41
DR: 1/- (up to 10 pts per day)
AC: 21 (haste) - AC 26 vs hydra (large dodge target + swashbuckler dodge)

Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4
Translocation 2
Heal belt charges 3

[PId6]

As Dren leaps to the attack, the five heads of the hydra turns around and bites down at him. Despite his acrobatic grace, one of the bites still manages to hit him, sending a bout of pain up through his body.

Dren takes 9 damage, and uses up one point of his daily DR.

[Jair Barik]

Alder curses the beast under his breathe then quickly thanks Bahumat for the speed Flick has granted him. Running quickly forwards into a better tactical position Alder breathes icy death at the beast, noting that fire seems to have had no effect.


Move to K9
Quickened breathe weapon (cold) at the monster
[roll0] regained in [roll1] rounds DC 17 save

Status

Location:K19
HP: 64/64
AC: 20
Haste
Stance: Leading the charge. 60ft radius allies deal +5 damage on the charge.
Maneuvers: White raven tactics, Battle leaders Charge, Leading the Attack, Tactical Strike

[Ernir]

Flick

"Kyr, beware! It's a Pyrohydra, so named for its association with fire! Like all hydras, it has extraordinary regenerative abilities, its wounds don't fully close unless we seal it off with cold!", the kobold shouts towards the battlefield, without pausing to breathe. Almost as an afterthought, he adds:
"Oh, and it breathes fire."

Stats
HP: 21/21
AC/Touch/FF: 16/15/12
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Location: J32
Active Effects:

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Color Spray
Blood Wind
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Pyrotechnics
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[balistafreak]

Kyr

As he wheels back, the heads return to harry him once again. Harmlessly coated in flaming liquid, this time the hydra contents itself with a snack from his right arm, gleefully munching on a mouthful of sleeve and flesh.

With a yelp, Kyr snaps back to Flick, "Oh, now you tell me!"

Round Summary:
No actions. This is merely IC chatter.


Character Summary:
Stats:
HP: 42 32/44; AC: 23, 12 Touch, 21 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 2
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day.
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Healing Belt Charges: 3
Position: G20.

OOC:
That'll teach me to post before people make their Knowledge checks. :smalltongue:

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

"It breathes FIRE? Teeth I can handle..."

Whiksel then runs down the causeway, blessing the haste spell, and leaps clear over the marsh into the deep water behind the hydra, hoping it will protect him from fire.


Jumping over the marsh: [roll0]
Remembering Hydra's vulnerabilities: [roll1]

AC: 23
HP: 33
Inspiration: 3
Stance: Island of Blades
Maneuvers: Burning Blade, Drain Vitality, Shadow Jaunt, Rabid Wolf Strike

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Tentacles writhing, Lenny focuses a moment, then bolts fowards

Standard action to manifest Inertial Armor linked to Expansion, then moving 60' forward to J19. Expansion will trigger just before my next turn.

Conditions
Stats
HP: 39/39
AC/Touch/FF: 18/18/18
F/R/W: +10/+3/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining)

[PId6]

The hydra recoils in pain as Alder's frost breath hits it fully, frostburning it on various parts of the body and forming icicles along the skin. Yet, as you watch, the ice melt off into steam in seconds, and the wounds on its hide quickly restitch themselves so that it's as good as new in no time.

In retaliation, three of its heads sends a breath of fire raining towards Alder. Lenny, who was just running up as he concentrated on his power, just manages to be caught in the blast, while Dren, who's slightly to the side of the hydra and is quite small besides, just manages to dodge the heat. The fire washes over the causeway, blackening some of the wood, but the wetness of the bog prevents it from lighting aflame.

The two remaining heads turn towards Kyr, charring the little human and showing him how a real fire breath feels.

All three of you (Alder, Lenny, and Kyr) take 27 fire damage, DC 17 Reflex for half.
Map:
http://i28.tinypic.com/11io4zr.png

I completely forgot about Gar last round. He's on there now, as green G.

Since Whiksel is in deep water, he needs Swim checks to move anywhere (I'll have it count as calm water). I'll give him +4 to Reflex against the fire breath as well for being underwater.

Alder might want to move away before Lenny grows fatter. :smalltongue:

[Ernir]

Flick

"TASTE THE RAINBOW!"

5' step to J31, Glitterdust on the hydra, and not my allies. :smalltongue:
Stats
HP: 21/21
AC/Touch/FF: 16/15/12
F/R/W: +3/+6/+4
Location: J32 -> J31
Active Effects:

Prepared spells:
-0-
Prestidigitation
Detect Magic
Detect Magic
Sonic Snap

-1-
Grease
Color Spray
Blood Wind
Benign Transposition
Targeting Ray
Nerveskitter

-2-
Pyrotechnics
Glitterdust
See Invisibility
Scorching Ray

-3-
Stinking Cloud
Unluck
Haste

[Jair Barik]

Brandishing his weapon Alder charges at the enemy with lightning speed from the magic running through him. Ducking with ease beneath any attacks the hydra might think of making he attempts to carve up the fire breathing monster.

"Lenny! We must end this beast here and now!"


[roll0] reflex
Battle leaders charge on the hydra, moving to I17, does not provoke AoO.
[roll1] to hit [roll2] damage (slashing not piercing on these attacks)
bonus attack from haste
[roll3] to hit [roll4] damage. Both cases 1 point is fire damage.
Then WRT on Lenny granting him an extra turn.


Status

Location:I17
HP: 37/64
AC: 20
Haste
Stance: Leading the charge. 60ft radius allies deal +5 damage on the charge.
Maneuvers: White raven tactics, Battle leaders Charge, Leading the Attack, Tactical Strike

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Kyr raises his shield just in time to deflect the brunt of the fiery blast. The bog at his feet parches and cracks, and parts of his armor shine with heat, leaving burns on his body nonetheless. Frantically, his body starts attempting to repair the damage. (Passed Reflex Save, Fast Healing.)

Clenching his teeth in pain, he snarls and rushes forward, shield spinning to ward off blows. (Tumble in Difficult Terrain with Inspiration.) "Oh, I see how it is! Have some of this, you wretched beaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaas-" (Entangling Cold Breath.)

Instead of a jet of useless flame, a spray of freezing cold liquids splatters across the hydra, clinging to it and hindering its movements.

Round Summary:
Passed Reflex Save: Kyr passes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8899534&postcount=498) his Reflex save, halving 27 fire damage to 13.
Fast Healing: Kyr heals from 19HP to 20HP.
Tumble in Difficult Terrain with Inspiration: Kyr tumbles from G20 to F18, using a point of Inspiration on Cunning Knowledge to add +1 to the check.

Tumble Check: [roll0] against DC 17.

Entangling Cold Breath: Kyr breathes a 15-foot cone of cold on squares (F-H)(17-18) and G19, hitting the pyrohydra for half of 3d6 cold damage, DC 16 Reflex halves, and entangling it for 1d4 rounds. It will be unable to run or charge, take ongoing cold damage, move at half speed, take a -4 Dexterity penalty, and a -2 untyped penalty to attack rolls.

Cold Breath Damage: [roll1] cold damage. Half of this number is 7, DC 16 Reflex halves again.
Rounds Entangled: [roll2] rounds.


Character Summary:
Stats:
HP: 32 20/44; AC: 23, 12 Touch, 21 Flat-Footed; DR: 2/adamantine
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +3
Inspiration: 2 1.
Active Effects: 30-foot Vigor Aura: self and allies within 30 feet have fast healing 1 when below half health.
Endure Exposure: All allies gain endure elements and are immune to Kyr's breath weapon for 24 hours at beginning of day.
Planar Ward: Immune to charm and compulsion effects.
Healing Belt Charges: 3.
Position: G20 F18.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren disappears in a flash and appears next to the wading swordsage. He unleashes a volley of thrusting attacks at the Hydra's body.



"Take that! and one of these! and another one!"

ooc

teleports as a swift action from I16 to i14. Attacks with TWF and haste.
To hit, -2 for TWF, +2 flanking and +1 from haste.



Rapier hit: [roll0] dmg: [roll1] + [roll]3d6[roll]
short sword hit: [roll2] dmg: [roll3] + [roll]3d6[roll]
rapier hit: [roll4] dmg: [roll5] + [roll]3d6[roll]

Edit, it looks like all 3 will hit, which should also heal Dren 3 hps (2 from the raiper and 1 from the sword)



Status

Location: I14

HP: 41
DR: 1/- (up to 9 more pts today)
AC: 21 (haste) - AC 26 vs hydra (large dodge target + swashbuckler dodge)

Spells left:

Ghost sounds 1
mage hands 1
Blur, swift 4
Translocation 1
Heal belt charges 3 charges
crystal of life drinking (raiper) 8 charges left
crystal of life drinking (Shortsword) 9 charges left

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Suddenly doubling in height, Lenny grins and steps forward, reaching lovingly for the Hydra.


5' step foward to get within reach.

[roll0] Evasion means no damage.
Tentacle 1: [roll1] [roll2] [roll3]
Tentacle 2: [roll4] [roll5] [roll6] | [roll7] [roll8]
UAS: [roll9] [roll10] [roll11] | [roll12] [roll13]

Note that a successful grapple moves Lenny into the Hydra's square.

Conditions
Stats
HP: 39/39
AC/Touch/FF: 16/16/16
F/R/W: +10/+3/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining), Expansion (4 minutes)

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Inspired, Lenny squeezes HARDER!


Tentacle 1: [roll0] [roll1]
Tentacle 2: [roll2] [roll3]
UAS: [roll4] [roll5]

Conditions
Stats
HP: 39/39
AC/Touch/FF: 17/17/17
F/R/W: +10/+4/+5
PP: 9/13
Active Effects: Inertial Armor (4 hours remaining), Expansion (4 minutes), Haste 5 rounds

[Chambers]

Graff

Watching the hydra breath fire on the bridge and his traveling companions, Graff holds out a hand and places it on Gar's head. "Stay boy. Don't want to get close to that. Watch our backs now. Hai." He says. The wolf chuffs and turns around, scanning behind them.

Definitely not walking up to that. Let's hope for a lucky shot. Taking three more arrows out of his quiver he fires them in rapid succession. Try stabbing it in the face! He yells out in encouragement.


Atk Dmg [roll1] If Crit [roll2] Crit Dmg [roll3]
Atk [roll4] Dmg [roll5] If Crit Crit Dmg [roll7]
Atk [roll8]Dmg [roll9] If Crit [roll10] Crit Dmg [roll11]


Gar Perception [roll12]

Stats:
Location: L29
HP: 38/38; AC: 17, 12 Touch, 15 Flat-Footed
Saves: Fort +6, Ref +6, Will +3
Readied Maneuvers: Hobbling Strike, Blindside Strike
Active Stance: Hawk's Eye
Active Effects: Haste
Arrows: 34/40

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

Whiksel stabs the monster. Twice. Where it hurts.


Atk 1: [roll]1d20+14
Dmg 1: [roll0] + [roll1] SA
Atk 1: [roll]1d20+14
Dmg 1: [roll2] + [roll3] SA

AC: 23
HP: 33
Inspiration: 1
Stance: Island of Blades
Maneuvers: Burning Blade, Drain Vitality, Shadow Jaunt, Rabid Wolf Strike

[dspeyer]

Stupid syntax
Atk1: [roll0]
Atk2: [roll1]

[dspeyer]

The second one wasn't my fault. I hit the 60 second limit, and it killed my rolls.
Atk1: [roll0]
Atk2: [roll1]

[PId6]

Flick's glittery rainbow falls over the hydra, which immediately takes a bite out of it and decides it likes the taste. It likes the taste of Kyr's frosty breath quite a lot less, however, and tries to dodge out of the way, avoiding the full brunt of the blast but still getting slowed by the cold, sticky substance.

At that point, Graff launches a hail of arrows at the writhing heads. The first arrow manages to pierce the thick hide, but to minimal effect. The second arrow simply bounces off of the body. The third arrow, however, hits right in the eye of one of the heads, causing a shower of bright red blood to erupt from the wound, splattering into the water with a hiss of steam wherever it lands. The beast roars in pain at the brutal wound.

But that's not all. Lenny hurls himself at the hydra tentacles wriggling freely in the air, latching onto one of the serpentine heads and twisting with all his might. At the same time, Alder charges at the creature all the while shouting encouragements to Lenny, landing a solid blow with his halberd. Just as the beast looks to be reaching its limits, Whiksel and Dren stab it from behind, ending its miserable existence. With a screech, the body of the beast collapse into the fetid waters with a mighty splash, ending the battle.

[Jair Barik]

Alder peers down into the watery depths weapon readied to strike anything that might emerge from them.

"Think its dead or just hiding? What did you call the beast, pyrohydra? You said it regenerates too, so would you say its really dead or not?"

[Ernir]

Flick

"Well, Flick is not an expert on such things, but Flick supposes it is possible that the hydra was feigning its death. Flick is told doing so can be a sound tactical maneuver, but Flick would be surprised if a monster whose heads get chopped off on a regular basis has the cranial capacity required to judge if and when such a maneuver would be appropriate. Also, its healing powers are great, but won't work if it is dead, as dead creatures are, by definition, not capable of being healed. All in all, Flick is reasonably certain that if the hydra seems dead, it is, in fact, dead."

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren listens to the kobold go on and on. When he stops talking Dren stabs the body of the hydra a few more times to make sure it was well and truely dead.

"Well, let's see what was in the cart..." Dren offers, though he makes no move towards it.

He grabs his side where the hydra clipped him and activated his healing belt.

ooc

Healing belt:

[roll0]

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Disappointed that his new toy has stopped playing, Lenny pikes and dives under the water, tentacles gasping for heads and wrenching them with all his might. As each head is rudely severed, the tentacles wave it above the surface for a second before chucking them messily over onto the shore. Lenny finally surfaces, covered in red gore, lugging the now headless body of the beast back towards the shore.

You know...for lunch.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren turns to Alder. "Where did you find this one?" he thumbs towards Lenny.

[Jair Barik]

"We all joined up together in town so I don't know where he is from. Now about this hydra. Is it dead dead or dead like a troll? Is it going to get back up or do we need to kill it some more?"

[Chambers]

Graff

Those tentacles... Graff shudders a moment. "Well done, fellows! Magnificent job!" He says, walking over to the bridge. He looks down into the red colored water. "I don't think I'll be getting any of those arrows back. Hmrph." He turns his head, "Hai". Gar comes trotting up next to him and sniffs the water. "No good for drinking boy."

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Cursing as his body repairs the last of the critical damage to his body, Kyr marches up to the newly headless body of the hydra. "Breathe fire all over me, would you? Oh yeah? How about some of thissssssssssssssssssss-"

Marching around the hydra, Kyr angrily spews icy gas and liquids over the hydra's corpse, starting from the stumps of the necks. If Lenny lets him, he progresses down the rest of the body, freezing the thing more-or-less solid, but leaves some parts of it untouched in case he was being serious about the lunch part.

It seems that he's quite offended by having fire breathed on him.

After he finishes, he walks up to Lenny's knee and looks up, giving him a pleasant smile and an affected, although not mocking, bow. "Oh mighty hero Lenny, it'll be better if we use the slow-healer now instead of in combat. Can we save our Healing Belt charges and use that wand in your pack?"

Mechanics:
Fast Healing: Kyr heals all the way back up to 22HP, and any wounded party members heal up to half or half+1 HP, but I don't think anyone else was nearly as badly hurt (proportionally) as I was.
Use Lenny's Wand of Lesser Vigor: If Lenny allows it, Kyr whips himself twice to heal up to full and Alder twice up to 59/64.

Use Magic Device: [roll0]
Use Magic Device: [roll1]
Use Magic Device: [roll2]
Use Magic Device: [roll3]
Use Magic Device: [roll4]
Use Magic Device: [roll5]
Use Magic Device: [roll6]
Use Magic Device: [roll7]
Use Magic Device: [roll8]
Use Magic Device: [roll9]

EFFFFFFFF. Only one success before I lock up. Well, it would go in the order stated above, so... does anyone else want to try?

[dspeyer]

Whiksel

"I've heard a lot of nasty stories from troll-fighters. Let's make sure."

Whiksel then methodically saws the heads off, and double-checks the freezing to make sure the stumps are solid ice.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Rifling through Lenny's bags (with permission, of course), Kyr produces the healing wand.

He flicks it once over himself, with a sigh of relief, many of his burns close up. He flicks it again, but nothing happens. Expression darkening, he whips it again -

- and it shoots out of his hand with a spray of sparks, obviously not the intended effect.

Cursing, he calls out to Dren. "Blasted thing has an attitude! Here, you try!" He toes the offending object gingerly, nursing his hand. "It's decided it doesn't like me."

Still cursing, he wades through the bog back to the wrecked wagon. "I saw something on here before hydra-boy here showed up. Mind giving me a hand?"

Mechanics:
Use Wand of Lesser Vigor:Kyr is able to get use one charge from the Lesser Vigor wand (healing from 22/44 to 33/44) before he gets locked out.
Search Wagon: Kyr searches the wagon and the surrounding area, poking in the surrounding bog for a bit just in case other objects fell off the wagon. His modifier is +12, giving him a Take 20 result of 32.

If a roll is required instead:

Search: [roll0]

Aid Anothers are welcome.

[PId6]

Lifting up the rotten wood of the old, collapsed wagon, you are immediately greeted by the sight of several skeletons buried in the water, most of them only partially there. Some are wearing ruined leather armor, but one of them appears to be wearing metal armor. After examining it closer and wiping some of the muck away, you find glinting silvery metal staring back at you, miraculously still in almost perfect order. Stripping it off the corpse, you realize that the light weight and elegant design leave almost no doubt as to its material.

The search turns up a masterwork breastplate which appears to be made of mithral.

[Ragnarok'n'Roll]

Dren

Dren watches as Kyr fumbles with the wand after sucessfully activating it a minute ago.

"hmm I think you are doing that wrong..." Dren offers trying to be helpful. "May I?" He asks borrowing the wand from Kyr.

He pokes Alder twice in the Ribs and activates the wand, replicating the same words and flair as Kyr. He turns back and pokes Kyr in the ribs but nothing happens.

"Hmm must not like you..." he mumbles.

"Hey Lenny, you mind carrying that heavy armor for us since you are so big and strong?"


"Hey look Lenny!" Dren says holding up the wand. "Wanna trade? I'll give you this magic wand stick for the magic wand stick in your pack. That way I can help out Kyr, the nice man."
Dren hands the lesser vigor wand back to Lenny.
OOC

Dren is trying to get Lenny to trade the locked out cure vigor wand for the cure light wounds wand he is carrying so Kyr can be healed a bit more.

If Lenny refuses the offer, Dren still gives the lesser vigor wand to Lenny as it's his.

[balistafreak]

Kyr

Taking the other healing wand, he looks it in the eye; well, at least he tries to. He looks rather ridiculously staring at the end of a stick.

"Now, are we going to play nice? Yes. Yes, we are."

Two (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8917745&postcount=557) flicks (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8917782&postcount=558) later, Kyr shakes his arms and rubs his shoulders, feeling a little better. "Ah, that's the stuff."

Tucking the wand into his Haversack, he walks onto the causeway, waving his arms. "Hey guys! Let's go! We've got a Keep to find! Lenny, I'll freeze whatever meat you want to keep for later!"

Once they get a move on, Kyr turns to Graff. "This Jorr guy. How well do you know him? Should we expect to meet him along the way, or are we on our own for this expedition?"

[Chambers]

Graff

"Oh, I've known Jorr for a few years. Actually sought him out. We run in...similar circles, and people I talked to said that he was the man I needed to see." He says, the hint of a smile in his eyes. "Learned a great deal from him."

"As far as now though, he'll see us before you see him. Guarantee that. Whether he wants to join in...I suppose that's up to him."

[Keld Denar]

Lenny

Lenny turns his head away from Dren toward Wicksel and rolls his eyes in a very pronounced manner. Turning his head back toward Dren, he grins a lazy giant grin and hands the little man the wand.

Turning toward Kyr, Lenny says: Nah, swamp water probably spoiled it already. Besides, hydra is SO gamey. Makes good jerky though...

[PId6]

After the escapade with the hydra, you cross the causeway without further incident besides the occasional near fall on the slippery wood. Marching onward along the road, you soon find the scenery changing back into the vibrant forest of the Witchwood as you go further and further from the marshy valley of Swift Creek. The sounds of birds replace the splatter of water in the ambiance, while the blazing sun remains high above.

It is after another hour's travel that you spot some dark objects in the distance on the road. With caution, you march forward to see, eventually finding yourselves at the site of a small battlefield. In the middle of the road lie two hobgoblin bodies, both with weapons and armor stripped off. One of them appear to be heavily covered in blood, while another one has an arrow piercing his eye. A few carrion birds fly off at your approach, while others stay and circle above.

A bit further off, you see the body of a smaller goblinoid with an arrow through its skull and likewise stripped of its equipment. Next to it is the body of a large canines with the appearance of a large wolf with black fur. An arrow pierces the canine's left foreleg while various bite marks and scratches are seen all over its bloody, mangled body. Besides the canine's body lies a large pile of red covering the ground in a bloody mess, likely from whatever it is the canine was fighting. However, despite the mess, no actual body is seen.

[Jair Barik]

"Looks like theres survivors who may still be round here. What do you think Graff? Goblins fighting Hobgoblins or some local power fighting against the enemy. Wild wolves couldn't strip the bodies but looking at your companion... think this is the work of anyone you know?"

Alder draws out his weapon and steps into his stance again just in case there is still any hostiles around.

[Chambers]

Graff

Could be... He says softly. Don't anyone walk into it. I need to look for something first. He walks slowly up to the dead bodies, eyes searching for something on the ground, Gar slinking along behind him.

He crouches before the bodies and looks at the arrows, careful not to touch anything.


Looking for a number of things.

Search [roll0] For any markings that Jorr would have left intentionally.

Survival [roll1] (+6 vs Hobbys) to determine who made which tracks in the dirt. Try and match up the tracks found with who is here. Basically I'm looking to see if there is one less set of tracks than there should be, i.e. someone that doesn't leave tracks.

[PId6]

@Graff
Searching the area, you find several sets of tracks. Three sets of tracks came from the direction of Vraath Keep, two humanoid and one belonging to the canine. The humanoid tracks lead to the two hobgoblins. No set of tracks lead to the goblin.

From the direction of the nearby trees, you find the tracks of three four-legged animals, all of which look similar to those of wolves or dogs. You can find no humanoid tracks from that direction. One of those dog tracks lead to the red mess near the goblin's wolf thing. This track stops there, and the body's nowhere to be found, but you can discern from the blood trail that the body was dragged to the side of the road. A pile of freshly disturbed dirt is found near there.

You know that Jorr keeps around three large hunting dogs as pets.

[Chambers]

Graff

Standing over the pile of dirt, Graff looks into the woods. Damn. Walking back to the bodies, he bends down and tries to pull the arrows out. "Looks like Jorr's work. And those two came from the Keep." He says, pointing to the hobgoblin bodies.

"Probably the little one as well, but there's no tracks for him." He crouches and looks into the woods again. "We're getting close. Time to get off the road."


Trying to recover the arrows for later use. Perception just for general purposes.

Perception [roll0]

[PId6]

One of the arrows are bent, but you do find two that are still usable and in good condition.